Juvenile arson is the No. 1 cause of fires in the City of Colorado Springs, according to a news release. In the last few years, juvenile arson arrests locally and nationally have surpassed the number of adults arrested for arson.During 2004 and 2005, 379 children between the ages of 3 and 17 from El Paso and Teller counties were referred to the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program. The fires resulted in more than $712,000 in property loss.The Colorado Springs Fire Department has been addressing this problem with their JFS program since 1994. The program has two phases; an initial assessment and education.To further address the growing number of juvenile arson cases, the Pikes Peak Area Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Coalition was established to assist the CSFD in mitigating the problem locally. The coalition assists with the high volume of children who were referred to the CSFD JFS program from outside the city limits. Firefighters from neighboring departments have attained certifications to assess those in their individual communities who would normally be referred to the CSFD. Following the assessments, participants are referred to the Colorado Springs program for the educational component.”This has truly become a valuable partnership between the Colorado Springs Fire Department and other local fire departments,” said Marta Dubay, CSFD’s JFS specialist. “Now more children are getting the help they need.”The Black Forest Fire Department, the Calhan Fire Department and the Falcon Fire Protection District are members of the coalition as well as the following: Cimarron Hills Fire Department, Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, Fountain Fire Department, Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District and the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District.Contact numbers for local departments: Black Forest: Chief David Ury and Assistant Chief Brandon Payne – 495-4300; Calhan: Firefighter Ginger Flynn – 347-3057; Falcon: Firefighter Wes Tulli – 495-4050.Or contact Marta Dubay for more information on areas not represented by these fire departments: 385-7365.
