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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What were the "high incidence hours" that Tactical Control Unit 712 became responsible for?

2. What did the three men sitting on Charlotte Street do when they saw the kid pull the false alarm in Chapter 3?

3. How did the firefighter die in the previous incident mentioned in Chapter 2?

4. Whose job is it to investigate suspicious fires?

5. How did Smith believe the city was treated by the state?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Katherine Anne Porter mean by "a book will find its author" and how did that apply to Dennis Smith?

2. Why did some of the men defend Chief Marks despite the fact that he was known for yelling at the firefighters?

3. Why do firemen have to sometimes crawl on their bellies while in a burning building?

4. Besides the risks to firefighters, what does Dennis Smith believe is a real risk of malicious false alarms?

5. What was Dennis Smith's main concern about writing about his fellow firefighters?

6. How did the attack on Firefighter Nick Riso (a brick was thrown at him in Chapter 3) make Smith feel?

7. What does Dennis Smith think should be done with people who pull malicious false alarms, and why?

8. Why did the firemen tease Billy Valenzio about his strength?

9. What did the firemen mean by the term "tough shit" during their discussion of the arson fire in Chapter 1?

10. How did the other firefighters look at Artie, the firefighter with the beard and degree in sociology?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Firefighters work long shifts that require them to both sleep and eat meals at the station. How does Smith demonstrate that this enforced closeness with fellow firefighters encourages a sense of brotherhood? Did the cooking and sharing of meals among the men of Engine Co. 82 foster a unique relationship that was missing in other professions? Is there a unique value in seeing your fellow firefighters at their best and their worst (i.e., grumpy before morning coffee, poor hygiene, an issue Smith addresses in the book) throughout the day? Does this help explain the fierce loyalty described by Smith?

Essay Topic 2

Abject poverty is a recurrent theme in Report From Engine Co. 82. In what ways does Smith think that poverty leads to an increase in crime and fire incidents in the South Bronx? Discuss how feelings of desperation Smith describes can break apart families and contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty and lawlessness.

Essay Topic 3

"Report From Engine Co. 82" was the first full-length book providing ordinary citizens with a glimpse into the insular world of firemen, and it became a runaway bestseller. Smith speaks of being thrilled about the opportunity to share his life with ordinary citizens. Why do you think the book proved so popular? Were people hungry for information about the lives of people they only saw during times of crisis? Do you think the book changed any opinions about the work firefighters do?

(see the answer keys)

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