CAMH receives Fire Safety Award

Honour given for fire protection and prevention in Ontario

The Fire Marshal of Ontario, Patrick Burke, chose CAMH to receive the Fire Marshal's Award for Excellence in Fire Safety at a ceremony held in Toronto on June 3, 2009. The annual Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council's Fire Safety Awards recognizes outstanding contributions to fire protection and prevention in Ontario.

CAMH has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to fire prevention and fire safety in Ontario, having been instrumental in the research, development and dissemination of TAPP-C (The Arson Prevention Program for Children), a program for the assessment and treatment of child and youth firesetters.

L-R, Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke, CAMH's Dr. Sherri MacKay, and Dave Levac, Parliamentary Assistant

An intervention program for children aged two to 18 years, TAPP-C is a collaboration involving fire service and mental health professionals working together to eliminate firesetting by children and adolescents. TAPP-C was developed as a joint venture between CAMH, the Office of the Fire Marshall of Ontario and the Toronto Fire Services, with each organization providing ongoing support.

“Fire involvement of any kind has the potential to cause significant personal injury or property damage but these are not the only reasons to work on prevention strategies. It’s an indication of broader-based behavioural and emotional difficulties. Involvement in TAPP-C provides an opportunity for caregivers, children and adolescents to develop skills that are transferable to the management of other problems,” says, CAMH Clinical Director, Child, Youth and Family Program, Dr. Joseph Beitchman.

“CAMH has been a tremendous supporter of the Ontario fire service for the past 20 years,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke. “This unique partnership has helped countless children and families deal with the potentially devastating effects of inappropriate firesetting behaviours.”

CAMH’s Dr. Sherri MacKay, Director, TAPP-C Program, Child, Youth and Family Program proudly accepted the award at the ceremony. Dr. MacKay believes, “The key to success in creating a fire-safe generation of children and youth is that empirically-based intervention strategies address the problem on multiple levels -- the individual, the family, the community and the province.”

Ontario is one of the few jurisdictions worldwide that mandates by law, the provision of fire safety prevention and education programs. As a result of CAMH's long-term partnership and support, TAPP-C has become a core fire and life safety program in Ontario communities as well as a world-class program adopted by many other provinces.

Fire departments throughout the province nominated individuals and organizations for this year's awards and CAMH was among the 20 recipients selected. The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Rick Bartolucci, and Fire Marshal Burke presented the awards.

 

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