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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. How did the Charlotte Street fire become easier to battle?

2. What two famous people once ran for Mayor and City Council President?

3. Approximately how many firefighters died each year in New York at the time the book was written?

4. What board game were the firemen playing in Chapter 3?

5. Why did the John Birch Society want a local teacher in Washingtonville fired?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Smith say city workers were fleeing cities to live in the suburbs?

2. How does the fire department announce the death of a fellow firefighter in the line of duty?

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

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

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

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

7. As the fire truck responded to the call on Wilkens Avenue in Chapter 3, what experience did Smith flash back to?

8. Explain why the landlord of the Intervale Avenue apartment building wanted the place torched.

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

10. What did Dennis Smith observe about the attitude of the driver who hit the young boy and was then beaten by the crowd in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Smith was extremely busy with work and family, but managed to carve out time to take daily notes so that he could write a book. In what ways do you think the act of writing this memoir helped Smith process the horrible scenes he frequently witnessed? Do you think that writing about his painful experiences gave him a way of working out his feelings about them? Could the book be considered a form of therapy?

Essay Topic 2

"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?

Essay Topic 3

Smith discussed the need for the firefighters to pay for much of the equipment and supplies they needed for their jobs. Why do you think New York was reluctant to provide sufficient provisions for fire departments? How did the firefighters view this lack of support and what would they have liked to do about it?

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