This LibGuide was created by the IFSI Library to introduce its Children's Fire Literacy collection. Fire literacy includes the topics of fire safety such as how to prevent fires, make emergency plans for fires, and escape from fires; historic fires (like the Great Chicago Fire or the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire) and historic firefighting to show children how the fire service and our reaction to fires have changed over the years; firefighting as a career to get children interested in the fire service and educate them on what it takes to become a firefighter; and fiction on fires, like a dog rescuing his friends from a forest fire or a student investigating how a mysterious fire started at their school.

Additionally, tips, tricks, and reading recommendations are included for firefighters who want to help teach fire literacy to children in a reading-discussion program.

Sections are organized by topic and then by age range youngest to oldest from grades Pre-K through 12.

The books featured in this LibGuide were made possible through the award of $10,000 from the 2022 American Library Association American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries through the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Grant funds were used to purchase children's fire literacy books, to create discussion questions and presentation aides for each book, and to plan children's fire literacy programs for Illinois firefighters to read books to children, engage them in discussion on the books' topics, and answer their questions about firefighting and the fire service.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute Library contains books, codes and standards, DVDs, CDs, periodicals, manuals, e-resources, audiobooks, and other fire emergency resources, totaling over 65,000 items. We serve all first responders in the state of Illinois. Materials can be requested in person, by phone or email, or online through our catalog. You can search our catalog by title, author, keyword, subject, or publisher, and choose the formats you want to see. Enter as few or as many search terms as you would like; the more search terms you use the fewer results you'll get, but the results will be more specific. If you live in Illinois and have a public library card, we can send materials to your public library via interlibrary loan. Anyone is also welcome to visit us in person!

Local Lending (Illinois Residents Only)