The Tallahassee Fire Department is dedicated to providing the highest quality of fire education, awareness and rehabilitative service to the community. The Juvenile Firesetter Program is committed to reducing injury, death, and loss of property due to the misuse of fires caused by juveniles.

Program Overview:
Juvenile fire setting results in significant loss of life, injury, and property damage. This dangerous behavior affects not only the family of the firesetter, but the victims, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, the court system, and communities. The Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Coalition (JFSIC) is comprised of the Tallahassee Fire Department, Capital City Youth Services, Florida State Fire Marshal, Leon County School Board, Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff's Office, State Attorney's Office, and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The program is designed to assist with providing intervention and, or referral services to appropriate authorities.

Nationally, juveniles account for up to 60% of all fire setting activity with billions of dollars in property losses, hundreds of deaths, and thousands of injuries. While there is a consensus regarding clinical and social impacts of fire setting, investigators must be careful not to prejudge potential juvenile firesetters based on opinions. Some children present fire setting behavior through frequent, intentional, concealed, and destructive incidents. Others have set a single fire at home, which appeared accidental, the result of curiosity or experimentation. It is possible that certain children start fires because of the absence of immediate parental consequences, lack of supervision, or because playing with fire has gotten out of control. In any event, fire setting behavior occurs both in normal children and those with behavior problems.