Most children have a natural curiosity about fire however sometimes this can develop into something more serious, fire starting behaviour or fear of fire.

If you are worried about a child or young person our team are experienced in working with children and young people, providing fire safety education and information about the dangers of fire and the importance of fire safety.  

The Firesafe (firesetters) Programme is a series of educational sessions for children and young people up to the age of 18 and aims to reduce the risk from fire. 

We can provide support to parents and carers for fire safety education as well as to referring partners such as teachers, social workers, youth teams, Police, Youth Justice Service, Children’s Care Home providers, health teams, RBFRS fire service staff, and anyone else who works with or is concerned about a child or young person in their care.

We will also provide educational sessions to any young person who may have developed a ‘fear of fire’ following a fire incident.

The aim of the programme is to make young people aware of the impact of their behaviour through discussion and giving them the opportunity to explore different ways of dealing with the root cause of the firesetting behaviour.

Sessions are tailored to meet the individual needs of the young person. Our team are experienced in working with children who have specialist health and/or educational needs and disabilities, and we plan our sessions carefully using selected and appropriate resources.

The programme can be delivered in person, online where it is appropriate, and in a variety of locations e.g. school, home or another agreed location.

The FireSafe programme begins with the offer of a Safe and Well Visit for the address where the child or young person is living and which looks at fire safety in the home. Fitting smoke alarms helps to make sure that everyone is alerted in the event of a fire, is aware of how to keep safe and that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire.

In the meantime, we recommend that you follow the advice below:

• Keep all matches and lighters stored in a safe place away from all young people in the household
• Have working smoke detection in place and test they are working
• Keep your escape routes clear and make sure people who live in the home are aware of a household escape plan
• In the case of a fire call 999, get out and stay out.

To make a referral please complete the online FireSafe Referral Form below.

Please note that consent of a parent/guardian/carer is required and the referral should be discussed with the young person, prior to completing this form.

If you have not gained consent and need advice please contact us via email Safe@rbfrs.co.uk or phone Reception on 0118 945 2888 and ask to speak to the Safety Education Team. Our inbox in monitored Monday to Friday 09.00-17.00 and during these times we will aim to respond to you within 48 hours.

For further information about how we use your personal data, please read our FireSafe Privacy Notice.