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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who was the second injured person found by firefighters at the Home and Simpson streets intersection, and how was he injured?
(a) A bystander mistaken for the driver and beaten.
(b) The driver; he had been beaten by the angry crowd.
(c) The boy's friend, who was also hit.
(d) The driver; he sustained the injuries in the accident.

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

3. What was the average daily number of false alarms in New York City during the time period covered by the book?
(a) 50.
(b) 250.
(c) 100.
(d) 147.

4. What did the sound of four 5 bells announce at the fire station?
(a) Injuries to a firefighter.
(b) The death of a firefighter in the line of duty.
(c) A multiple-alarm fire.
(d) A car accident.

5. How did Smith's wife compare his job to that of a soldier's in Vietnam?
(a) It was safer in Vietnam.
(b) In Vietnam, soldiers only had to serve for a year.
(c) There was more job security as a soldier.
(d) Soldiers were better-paid.

6. What did the firefighters find on Freeman Street during one of the calls in Chapter 3?
(a) A burning car.
(b) A man injured in a fight.
(c) A burning store.
(d) A car accident.

7. On what street did the firefighters respond to a large fire in Chapter 5?
(a) Campanella Avenue.
(b) Charlotte Street.
(c) Broad Street.
(d) Carlotti Street.

8. How did the boy sustain the injuries suffered in the incident at Home and Simpson streets in Chapter 2?
(a) He was struck by a car.
(b) He was injured while playing ball.
(c) He was beaten.
(d) He fell from his bike while riding.

9. Approximately how many firefighters died each year in New York at the time the book was written?
(a) Five.
(b) Eight.
(c) Three.
(d) Twenty.

10. For which time period did Smith work as a firefighter in the South Bronx?
(a) 1966-73.
(b) 1962-1969.
(c) 1969-1976.
(d) 1960-67.

11. Why did the firefighters think the car in the middle of Stebbins Avenue was stolen?
(a) The wheels and tires had been removed.
(b) The radio was gone.
(c) The windows were broken.
(d) The steering wheel was gone.

12. Which magazine asked Smith to write about firefighters?
(a) Newsweek.
(b) True.
(c) Time.
(d) Life.

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

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

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What was wrong with the furnace room where the firefighters retreated for warmth during the Charlotte Street fire?

2. Why did Smith move outside the city after growing up there?

3. How does Smith envision false alarms occurring in richer neighborhoods?

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

5. What is Washingtonville's main claim to historical significance?

(see the answer keys)

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