Data & Research Findings For Professionals
Welcome to the Data & Research Findings for Professionals Page. This page will provide links to the research findings produced by the YFIRES data system as well as reports from other sources that are relevant to the youth firesetting problem.
YFIRES will be posting the findings from the YFIRES system as information becomes available. This will be based on the national data set.
YFIRES Users will be able to generate their own reports from their own data. However, national data will not be accessible until such time as 500 cases have been "submitted" in a FEMA Region. This is to ensure that the case information remains de-identified from the specific youth in each case. This confidentiality remains an important goal of YFIRES and a legal necessity for all programs.
Regarding YFIRES reporting, please review the "Frequently Asked Questions About YFIRES Reporting" document posted below under "YFIRES Reports and Findings."
Information about new postings will be distributed to system users and others who have requested updates from the "YFIRES Announcements" button on the YFIRES home page. Questions can be submitted to YFIRES by using the "Contact Us" button on the YFIRES home page.
By Kathi Osmonson - This report shares the experience of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety - State Fire Marshal Division - regarding their experience with youth firesetting documentation. The results show evidence that youth firesetting may be underreported, depending on how fire reporting is conducted.
by Robert Stadolnik, Ed.D. and TheresaManela, LICSW - This is an exploratory analysis of adolescent female firesetting behavior.
by John R. Hall - The National Fire Protection Association's report on youth set fires in the United States. This represents their perspective based on the data they receive from the United States Fire Administration.
By Richard Campbell - The National Fire Protection Association's March 2014 report "Playing With Fire."
By Carol Pollack-Nelson, Donna M. Faranda, Don Porth, and Nicholas K. Lim - This study sought to learn about risk perceptions held by parents of preschool-aged firesetters.
by Jerrod Brown, Kathi Osmonson, Julie Martindale, Don Porth - While Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) does not cause firesetting, some of the disabilities created by the disorder may lead children to misunderstand, therefore misuse fire. This article provides an introduction to this complex topic.
When working with the YFIRES Reporting functions, you may encounter questions. You may contact YFIRES through the "Contact Us" button on the home page of the web site. You may find your answer more quickly in this FAQ document.
By Pat Mieszala, RN - Pat Mieszala offeres an historic overview of the evolution of youth firesetting intervention services as we know them today. This important perspective describes how far this discipline has come, and may provide clues as to how much more work needs to be done.
By SOS FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs - This report presents data from Portland, Oregon and Anchorage, Alaska in the form of a series of 18 questions related to youth firesetting data. This was published in 2000.
By SOS FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs - The report shares results of family interviews that occurred post-intervention. Questions explored family dynamics and parental behaviors and reports on these families from four programs in four states.
By YFIRES - This is a list of lives lost to youth-set fires. This is intended as a reminder of the impact of children with fire on lives, families, and firefighters. This is not a complete list, only those found in news reports or submitted to YFIRES.