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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was Billy O'Mann griping about when talking about empty lots near the fire station?
(a) He thought the city should allow firefighters to park there so their cars do not get stolen.
(b) He thought the station should be expanded onto those lots.
(c) He thought new buildings should be constructed on the lots.
(d) He thought parks should be built in the lots.

2. How old was Tina when Smith first met her?
(a) Fourteen.
(b) Seventeen.
(c) Ten.
(d) Eighteen.

3. What is the minimum height for a fireman in New York?
(a) 5'9".
(b) 6'0".
(c) 5'7".
(d) 5'4".

4. After years of "carrying death in my hands," what did Smith see firefighting as lacking?
(a) High pay.
(b) Stability.
(c) Security.
(d) Glamor.

5. Why did Smith say he disagreed with fellow firefighters' prejudices, but also understood them?
(a) The only minorities they encounter are criminals.
(b) They do not live in the neighborhoods they serve.
(c) Firefighting is most difficult and dangerous in poor, minority areas
(d) They are more poorly paid than firefighters in white areas.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did the firemen call for police assistance while battling the Fox Street fire in Chapter 8?

2. Why did Fireman Jim Stack have to stay longer at the hospital after the Intervale Avenue fire in Chapter 10?

3. How did Smith view the fire department's amusement park trip for neighborhood children?

4. Why did the Fire Department persist in holding parties for children who regularly harassed firefighters?

5. While responding to an apartment fire on Simpson Street in Chapter 7, what did the firefighters see two teenagers carrying down the stairs?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why were some of the firefighters unwilling to help out at the department's occasional parties for neighborhood kids?

2. Why were the men uneasy as they begin the training drill in Chapter 6?

3. Is the poverty seen by Dennis Smith in the South Bronx different than the poverty in which he grew up?

4. What were Smith's initial views of firefighting before he joined the department?

5. In what way can the training firemen undergo never be completely sufficient?

6. Did Smith feel that the rich New Yorkers mentioned in Chapter 7, who were raising money to bail out Black Panthers, had any real understanding of need?

7. Why does Smith suggest that perhaps even with guidance, South Bronx resident Tina de Vega may still have ended up on drugs and prostituting herself?

8. How did contemplating the changing seasons make it easier for Smith to deal with the dangers of his job?

9. How did Dennis Smith feel as a child when the welfare inspector visited his family?

10. How did Smith convince himself of the need to respond to all calls when he found himself getting fed up with the arson incidents?

(see the answer keys)

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