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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. To which publication did Dennis Smith write a letter that caught the attention of editors?
(a) Time magazine.
(b) New York Times Book Review.
(c) New York Times.
(d) Washington Post.

2. How did Smith view the Kelly Street fire after the culprit was found?
(a) A preventable crime.
(b) An example of ironic justice.
(c) An example of the real devil getting away and the children being victimized.
(d) An example of divine justice.

3. What did Smith find buried under the rubble at the Charlotte Street apartment in Chapter 5?
(a) A child's bike.
(b) A race car set.
(c) A doll.
(d) A Big Wheel.

4. What field did Smith's wife want him to go into instead of firefighting?
(a) Teaching.
(b) Engineering.
(c) Sanitation.
(d) Accounting.

5. How does Smith envision false alarms occurring in richer neighborhoods?
(a) Residents panic at the slightest sign of trouble and pull the alarms.
(b) Residents accidently hit the alarms.
(c) Europeans mistake alarm boxes for mail boxes.
(d) Visitors from the South Bronx pull the alarms.

6. What orders did the doctors give Smith after his injury from the Prospect Avenue fire?
(a) Do not talk at all.
(b) Do not work for a few weeks.
(c) Do not talk much or smoke for a few weeks.
(d) Get extra sleep.

7. How does Smith describe his political leanings?
(a) Democratic.
(b) Moderate.
(c) Republican.
(d) Libertarian.

8. How long did Smith take off to recover from the throat damage he sustained during the Prospect Avenue fire in Chapter 3?
(a) Five days.
(b) Two weeks.
(c) One month.
(d) One week.

9. What happened to the fireman who was injured while responding to a call in Chapter 4?
(a) He was admitted to the hospital overnight.
(b) He refused to be admitted to the hospital.
(c) He was hospitalized for a week.
(d) He was treated at the scene.

10. In Smith's description, how does the life of a firefighter differ from that of other city workers?
(a) They are the most respected of all city workers.
(b) They are the least respected of all city workers.
(c) When he leaves in the morning, he may not come home alive.
(d) They are the brave ones.

11. According to Smith, how should kids who pull malicious false alarms be treated?
(a) They should be given guidance care by social services.
(b) They should be sent to an institution for a year.
(c) They should be returned to their parents.
(d) They should be warned of the consequences of false alarms.

12. What is the name of the institute started by Smith after publication of the book?
(a) American Firefighters Health and Safety Institute.
(b) Institute for the Study of Health and Fire Safety.
(c) Firefighters United for Health and Safety.
(d) Foundation for the Health and Safety of American Firefighters.

13. Why did Smith insist on working in the South Bronx?
(a) The pay was better.
(b) He believed the people there had a right to fire services.
(c) He had relatives there.
(d) He lived close to the South Bronx.

14. Approximately what percentage of the fire department's calls were for actual fires?
(a) Three-quarters.
(b) One-third.
(c) One-quarter.
(d) One-half.

15. What happened to Capt. Frimes at the Kelly Street fire?
(a) He was burned by the fire.
(b) He was overcome with smoke and had to be pulled out.
(c) Nothing happened to him.
(d) He was trapped by debris in the apartment.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did the men take turns manning the hose while battling the apartment building fire in Chapter 5?

2. To what experience does Smith compare his work for the fire department in the Introduction?

3. Before discovering the culprit, how did Smith describe the fatal fire on Kelly Street?

4. Whose job is it to investigate suspicious fires?

5. What kind of test was Fireman Benny Carroll studying for in Chapter 3?

(see the answer keys)

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