Family Guide
This document was prepared for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s U.S. Fire Administration under contract number HSFE20-13-P-0275. 

For more information about the SESAME STREET Fire Safety Program and other fire safety information, visit www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach.

Sesame Street® and associated characters, trademarks and design elements are owned and licensed by Sesame Workshop. 

©2015 Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved. 
3

Welcome to the Sesame Street 

Fire Safety Guide for Families!

As a parent or caregiver, you do things to keep your child safe each 

day, like buckling their seatbelt or holding hands when you cross the 

street. The preschool years are an important time to teach your child 

about fire safety. You can empower children at this young age with 

essential fire safety messages and skills that can make a big 

difference in an emergency.

You can show your child what to do if there’s a fire and ways to prevent fires from starting. 

By getting the whole family involved, and making your child a part of this process, you are 

teaching lifelong fire safety habits!

This guide will help you make fire safety easy for the whole family, and help children feel safe. 

Here’s what you’ll find: 

» information and tools to help your family practice fire safety at home 

» catchy phrases you can use to help your child remember important fire safety messages 

» activities and ideas to help you practice fire safety skills together as a family 

Fire safety begins at home. The simple steps you take 

can make a big difference in staying safe from fires. 

Thank you for your help and participation!

Sincerely,

Your friends at Sesame Street and the U.S. Fire Administration

This Sesame Street Fire Safety Guide for Families was developed by Sesame Workshop 

with expert guidance from the U.S. Fire Administration.
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Fire Safety Messages to 

Teach Children

You’ll find the following safety messages bolded throughout this guide. Look out for 

them and practice repeating them out loud together.

WHAT’S HOT 

WHAT’S NOT

• Touching something hot 

can hurt a lot.

• Hot, hot, stay away. Hot,

hot, not for play!

• Take three big steps away.

• Cool a burn with water.

• Don’t touch, tell a grown up.

FIRE ESCAPE 

MAP

• Exit is the way out. 

• Get low and go, go, go to 

your exit! 

• A meeting place is a safe 

place away from the fire 

and smoke.

• Get outside and stay 

outside! 

SMOKE ALARM 

SAFETY

• Smoke alarms go 

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! 

FIREFIGHTERS

• Firefighters are special 

helpers!

• Firefighters wear special 

gear to stay super safe! 
5

What’s Hot? What’s Not?

Being aware of things that are hot and things that are not hot can help your child 

understand other fire safety messages. Once children learn what is hot, they can 

learn that hot things can burn and they should stay away from them. 

Please talk about the messages below and practice saying them out loud often: 

» Hot, hot, stay away. Hot, hot, not for play! Practice saying this out loud any time you see 

something that is hot or can get hot. This includes electrical outlets, which should be covered 

throughout your home. 

» Don’t touch, tell a grownup! Matches and lighters should always stay locked up and out of 

children’s reach. Remind children that these are grown-up tools, not toys. If they see one, 

they should always tell a grown-up. 

» Take three big steps away! You can use this phrase to help your child remember to stay 

three big steps away from hot things or things that can get hot.

Family Practice Time! 

» “What’s Hot, What’s Not?” Game: Point out some hot and cool objects at home and 

ask, “Hot or not?” 

» 1, 2, 3! Take three big steps away! Help your child take three big steps away from hot things 

or things that can get hot, such as the stove, oven, and space heaters.

SAFETY TIP

Cool a burn. If you or your child gets a burn...

» Put it in cool water right away.

» Keep in cool water for 3–5 minutes. 

This helps stop the burning.

» Cover the affected area with a clean, dry cloth.

» If the burn is bigger than the child’s palm, 

call your doctor or 9-1-1 right away.

Protect from scalds. Scalds are burns caused 

by hot liquids or steam. 

» Make sure your water heater thermostat is 

set no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

» Run cool water first, then add hot water 

when filling the tub.

» Check the water temperature before letting 

your child get in.
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Kitchen Safety Tips for Grown-Ups 

Cooking can be a wonderful way to spend time together as a family! It’s important to 

have fun and stay safe at the same time. Cooking is the most common cause of home 

fires and fire injuries. Most cooking fires start when someone is frying food, since hot oil 

and grease can burn people and start a fire. Here are simple steps to be safe in the kitchen: 

Be a safe cook: 

» Keep an eye on what you fry. Never leave the kitchen if you are frying or cooking food at high temperatures.

» Wear short sleeves or roll them up so they don’t catch on fire.

» Keep hair and clothes away from the burners.

Be prepared when cooking and make the area safe: 

» Make sure children and pets stay at least three big steps away from a hot oven or stove.

» Tell children not to touch things that are hot or can get hot. Emphasize the message that 

touching something hot can hurt a lot. 

» Clean and clear the area around the stove before you turn on the heat. Move things away 

that can catch on fire, such as dish towels, bags, boxes, paper, and curtains.

» Use back burners to cook, if possible. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no 

one can bump into them or pull them over.

» Be careful when removing foods from the microwave—they are hot and can burn you. 

What to do if your pan is on fire: 

» Act fast. Keep the pan where it is and do not move it.

» Turn off the heat. 

» Never try to put out a grease fire with water. Water will make the fire bigger. 

» If your pan is on fire, covering it with a lid or cookie sheet can put out the fire. 

» If the fire is very big, make sure to get out of the home immediately. 

» Call 9-1-1 once you are outside.

» Do not go back into your home until a firefighter tells you that it is safe to do so.
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Let’s Make a Home Fire Escape Map!

Planning and preparing for emergencies is a great way to keep your family safe. One 

way to plan for emergencies is to create a home fire escape map and practice fire drills 

as a family. This is a very important way for children to know what they need to do in 

case there is a fire. 

Here are some catchy ways to help your child learn and remember 

important information: 

» Exit is the way out. Help your child learn the exits for each room in your home. This will help your 

child find the way out more quickly in case there’s a fire. 

» Let’s make a map. Create a home fire escape map and practice a fire drill for every room in your home. 

Practice your home fire escape map with everyone in your family at least twice a year. Talk about how 

you would get out of other places you visit, like the library, the grocery store, or a grandparent’s house. 

» A meeting place is a safe place away from the fire and smoke. Your family meeting place should 

be outside your home where firefighters can easily see you; maybe at a lamp post or your neighbor’s 

front yard. It is important that firefighters can see you and know everyone is out of the home.

» Get outside and stay outside! Remind children that once they get outside, they need to stay 

outside until a firefighter says it’s safe to go back inside. 

It’s family practice time! 

» Play “Exit Finders”! Together, make exit signs with crayons and paper. Then, search for the exits 

out of each room in the house. How many exits can you count? 

» Remember your route. Help children remember your fire escape route by picking three or four 

things you pass on the way to your safe place. When you arrive at your safe place, review these 

spots together by saying, First we passed a ___________. Then, we walked next to a ___________. 

Right before we got to our safe place, we saw a ___________!

SAFETY TIP

Share your emergency 

plan with everyone who 

cares for your child. 

This includes your 

child’s caregivers, 

your family emergency 

contacts, relatives, 

trusted neighbors, etc.
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Our Family Home Fire Escape Map

Together with your child, create a home fire escape map! 

Start by writing down the names of every room in your home 

in each box below (the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, etc.) 

Then, draw a simple layout of each room. 

Be sure to include your child’s bedroom 

or sleeping area. Circle each exit with 

a brightly colored crayon or marker. 

Walk with your child through every room 

and point out the exits and how to get to 

your safe outside meeting place from 

there. Make photocopies if you have 

additional rooms. 

Practice, practice! To help your child remember, practice 

this map together as a family at least twice a year. 

PRACTICE #1 DATE: PRACTICE #2 DATE: 
9

Smoke Alarm Safety

Smoke alarms are so important to your family’s safety. We may not always see them 

since they’re high on the wall or ceiling, but installing smoke alarms can really save 

your life and the lives of your loved ones. 

Smoke is poisonous and breathing it in can make you sick. Smoke alarms warn you of a fire and smoke before 

you see, hear, or smell the fire. It’s important for children to learn the sound a smoke alarm makes (BEEP, BEEP, 

BEEP), and to understand that when they hear the smoke alarm, it is time to get low and go, go, go to your exit. 

We usually tell children not to go outside without a grown-up, but exiting quickly when the smoke alarm 

sounds is the one exception to the rule. Fires happen very fast and children only have 3 minutes to get out of 

their homes. Self-evacuation is crucial for their safety. Practice your family home fire escape plan twice a year 

to feel assured that your child will know what to do without you.

Make sure your smoke alarms work 

» Push the test alarm on your smoke alarm to 

let your child hear the sound it makes 

(BEEP, BEEP, BEEP). 

» Most smoke alarms will have a “test” button. 

Test your smoke alarms once a month. 

When you push the test button you will hear 

a loud noise. If you don’t hear the noise, it 

means that you need a new battery or a 

new alarm. Fix this immediately.

» Make sure the smoke alarm always has a 

good battery. Put a new battery in the 

alarm every year.

» Mark the date on your calendar so you’ll 

know when it needs to be replaced again. 

» Sometimes a smoke alarm makes a noise 

that sounds like a bird chirping. This means 

the battery is almost dead. Put in a new 

battery immediately.

» Smoke alarms do not last forever. Make sure 

to get new smoke alarms every 10 years. 

Where should you install smoke alarms?

» On the ceiling or high on the wall

» On every level of the home, including 

the basement

» In every sleeping area 

» In the hallway outside each sleeping area

Practice home fire drills

» Practice finding two ways out of each room, 

if possible. This can be a door or a window 

that leads to the ground or a safe fire escape.

» I spot our meeting place! Together as a 

family, decide on a safe meeting place 

outside your home where you will meet if 

there is a fire.

IF THERE IS A FIRE...

Get low and go, go, go to your exit! If you hear 

the alarm beeping, get low and go, go, go to the 

nearest exit. This can be a door or a window 

(that leads to the ground or a safe fire escape). 

I spot our meeting place! Go to the meeting 

place outside your home.

Call 9-1-1 once you are outside. If you leave your 

cell phone behind, you might use a neighbor’s 

phone, a pay phone, or go to a local store to call.

Get outside and stay outside! It’s important to 

stay outside and not go back in until a firefighter 

says it’s safe—even if you or your child has 

special things inside. 

For more information on all types of smoke 

alarms, visit www.usfa.fema.gov

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!
10

Elmo Listens to His Smoke Alarm! 

Read this story strip together to help your child learn the simple steps to follow 

if the smoke alarm sounds (or starts beeping). Once you have read it, you can 

cut out each card and challenge your child to put them in the correct order.

As Elmo and his daddy were reading in Elmo’s 

room, they heard a very loud BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

Daddy! Daddy! That 

sounds like a smoke 

alarm! SMOKE ALARMS 

GO BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

You’re right, Elmo! 

That must mean 

there’s a fire or smoke 

somewhere near! 

Elmo remembered what he learned about fire 

safety at school. 

If we hear a BEEP, BEEP, 

BEEP, we have to GET 

LOW AND GO, GO, GO

to your exit! 

Very good, Elmo! Now, 

let’s look for our exit 

and...GET OUTSIDE 

AND STAY 

OUTSIDE!

Elmo and his daddy found their safe meeting 

place outside—a big tree across the street. 

Right away, Elmo’s daddy called 9-1-1 for help. 

Oh no, Daddy! Elmo forgot Baby 

David! We need to go back 

inside. Baby David is 

Elmo’s favorite doll! 

Oh, I know you miss Baby 

David, Elmo, but we need 

to STAY OUTSIDE until a 

firefighter says it’s safe

to go back inside. 

A big, red, shiny fire truck arrived and the 

friendly firefighters worked hard to put out the 

fire at Elmo’s house. There was a small fire in 

the kitchen, but everyone got out safely!

Okay, Elmo! It’s safe 

to go back inside 

now!

Thank you for listening to your 

smoke alarm, Elmo! That’s what 

kept you safe! 
11

Exit Is the Way Out!

Color the exit sign below in red. With your child, search for two safe ways to exit every room 

in your home, if possible. When you’re out and about, look for exit signs all around you.

Exit Finders!

Look around to see how many types of exits you can find with your child. 

Discuss different safe exits. Here are some examples:

SAFETY TIP

Your safe exit can include a door or a window that leads directly to the ground or has a safe fire escape. If you live in 

a high-floor apartment, you may only have one way out. Learn your building evacuation plan to help you be prepared!
Exit is the way out!

For more information please visit: www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach

©2015 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

FA-339 / June 2015