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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 1.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Smith call firefighters the most "ubiquitous" civil servants?
(a) They are the most numerous civil servants.
(b) They respond to calls involving each and every natural and man-made disaster.
(c) They are the civil servants who most frequently interact with individuals.
(d) They are the best funded of all civil service departments.

2. To what experience does Smith compare his work for the fire department in the Introduction?
(a) Police work.
(b) Wartime.
(c) Espionage.
(d) Diplomacy.

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

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

5. How did Smith feel when first approached about writing a memoir of firefighting?
(a) Concerned that he would be incapable of writing.
(b) Challenged by the act of writing the way climbers are challenged by mountains.
(c) Concerned that he did not know enough about firefighting.
(d) Convinced that people would never understand firefighters.

Short Answer Questions

1. How do firefighters get enough oxygen when a building is thick with smoke?

2. How did Smith remember details for the book while working full-time?

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

4. What did the landlord of the Kelly Street apartments do once the youths had spread the gasoline around?

5. Which magazine asked Smith to write about firefighters?

(see the answer key)

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