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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did the men take turns manning the hose while battling the apartment building fire in Chapter 5?
(a) To get a break from the cold weather.
(b) Because they were sleepy.
(c) Because some of them were in training.
(d) Because they were physically tired.

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

3. How were the men rescued during the factory fire?
(a) Another team arrived and put out the fires.
(b) One of the fires was put out and they retreated in that direction.
(c) The fire chief sent a ladder up.
(d) They were able to jump out the windows.

4. What happened when two of the fire trucks collided while responding to a call in Chapter 4?
(a) A bicyclist hit one of the trucks.
(b) A firefighter hanging on the back of one truck was badly injured.
(c) A bystander was injured.
(d) A civilian vehicle collided with the trucks.

5. What did firefighters find at the scene of the fire at the Kelly Street apartments?
(a) Three gas cans, pointing to arson.
(b) Molotov cocktails.
(c) Faulty wiring.
(d) Burned food on a stove.

6. Before discovering the culprit, how did Smith describe the fatal fire on Kelly Street?
(a) A case of ironic justice.
(b) A case of just desserts.
(c) A simple tragedy.
(d) A tough break.

7. Why does Smith say there are fewer fires today compared to the period during which he served?
(a) Fire safety codes have made buildings less prone to fire.
(b) The wider use of fire extinguishers has led to small fires being put out before the fire trucks arrive.
(c) There is more intolerance for crime, and radicalism has decreased.
(d) The population has decreased and there are more empty buildings.

8. From which service area did Fireman Vinny Royce switch to join Engine Co. 82?
(a) Harlem.
(b) Beford-Stuyvesant.
(c) Lower East Side.
(d) East Harlem.

9. How did Smith believe the city was treated by the state?
(a) He felt the state tried to control the city.
(b) He felt the state placed too many requirements on the city.
(c) He felt the state took the city's tax money, but failed to provide adequate services.
(d) He felt the state put too much emphasis on the city.

10. Which two companies were prohibited from responding to the same fire under the new plan?
(a) 82 and 85.
(b) 82 and 92.
(c) 82 and 90.
(d) 85 and 87.

11. How did the Charlotte Street fire become easier to battle?
(a) The rest of the roof caved in.
(b) More firefighters arrived on the scene.
(c) Rain began falling.
(d) The winds shifted.

12. Why did the firefighters have a difficult time getting into one of the Kelly Street apartments?
(a) The door was barricaded.
(b) The door was locked.
(c) The door lacked a doorknob.
(d) The door was extremely hot.

13. Why did Smith move outside the city after growing up there?
(a) He had family in the area.
(b) His wife could be closer to her work.
(c) He felt it was a better place for a family.
(d) He wanted to be closer to work.

14. Why did the John Birch Society want a local teacher in Washingtonville fired?
(a) Because the teacher was an outspoken opponent of the war in Vietnam.
(b) Because they felt the teacher was ineffective.
(c) Because the teacher was an active union member.
(d) Because the teacher allowed a student to draw an American flag surrounded by question marks.

15. Who was responsible for the most malicious false alarms?
(a) Children.
(b) Criminals.
(c) Adults.
(d) Teenagers.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did Smith's wife compare his job to that of a soldier's in Vietnam?

2. How would firefighters have designed a building differently to make firefighting easier, according to Smith?

3. Who did the firefighters encounter while bringing the hose up the stairs of the burning apartment building on Fox Street?

4. What is the name of the institute started by Smith after publication of the book?

5. Which writer once suggested that the story finds the author?

(see the answer keys)

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