One of the Brigade’s Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Scheme (JFIS) caseworkers, Gilly Hibberd, has collaborated with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service to create a children’s book to support caseworkers across the country.
The book, The Adventures of Frankie the Fire Dog, has been created to remedy a shortage of suitable resources when working with primary school children.
Gilly said: “I meet up from time to time with caseworkers who work for other fire and rescue services and we all notice the lack of resources. Joanne Mankel from Humberside FRS, who has never written a children’s book before, offered to give it a go. She had been working through ideas with her colleague Sarah Baker and I agreed to help her publish the book.
“During the lockdown in March last year I got chatting to a neighbour who turned out to be a book designer. She offered to design the book and recommended a freelance illustrator, Lydia Coventry, who has done a brilliant job. I edited it and coordinated the team - it was a great collaboration of different areas, skills and people. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service agreed to fund the book on a not-for-profit basis."
“When I am with children who have been referred to us for firesetting behaviour we will go through the book together one-to-one as there are safety messages throughout the story. I can ask them questions based on scenarios in the book, like whether the animals should be playing with lighters, which helps to reinforce our messages."
“We compiled the book over the summer and at one of our online meetings I discovered I had been added to the story - they named one of the characters Gilly the Jellyfish! The book is going to be incredibly useful and the illustrations are beautiful.”
Frankie the Fire Dog has just been published and is available for caseworkers to use in every fire and rescue service across the country.
For more information on JFIS or to make a referral contact firesetters@london-fire.gov.uk