APRTESTING SERVICES

27 Judith Rd. Newton, MA 02459

(617) 244-7405 Fax: (617) 244-8904

Info@APRTestingServices.com

Candidate Orientation Booklet

The NationalMunicipalFire FighterExamination (EMS)

Copyright © 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006 Applied Personnel ResearchNewton, Massachusetts 02459

(617) 244-8859www.appliedpersonnelresearch.com

All Rights Reserved.No copies of this booklet or any parts of this booklet may be made for any reason or in any medium

(including electronic media) without specific written permission from the copyright owner.

Candidate Orientation Booklet

For The Entry-Level Examination For Fire Fighter (EMS)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1. HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAMINATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1

A. Using the Candidate Orientation Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1

B. Tips for Test Takers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1

C. ADA Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

PART 2. PRACTICE QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3

A. Mechanical Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3

B. Firefighting Mathematical Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

C. Spatial Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

D. Reading Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

E. Reasoning and Problem Solving Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

F. EMS Mathematical Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10

G. Answers to Practice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

H. Sample Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

Page 1

PART 1. HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAMINATION

This Candidate Orientation Booklet will help you prepare for the written ability test forentry-level fire fighter, but you do not need to memorize anything in this booklet.

A. Using the Candidate Orientation Booklet

To do your best on the examination for fire fighter, you should read every page of this Candidate Orientation Booklet very carefully. Sample practice questions which are similar to theones which will be on the actual exam are in Part 2 of this Candidate Orientation Booklet.

To get the most benefit out of the practice questions, do not look at the answers until youhave thought about and answered each of the questions.

B. Tips for Test Takers

Here is some advice to help you do your best on this examination.

Before the examination:

1. Read this Candidate Orientation Booklet carefully.

2. Get a good night's sleep before the examination. If you are tired, you will not be able to doyour best on the examination.

3. Be sure to bring two number 2 pencils with you to the exam. You may also want to wear awatch in case the testing room does not have a clock.

4. Leave plenty of traveling time to get to the exam site. It is best to arrive early.

At the examination:

1. Read each question and all the possible answers carefully.

2. Choose the best answer from the choices given. Sometimes you may think there is a betteranswer to the question. Your job is to choose the best of the choices given.

Page 2

3. Try to answer every question on the examination. Even if you are not sure which answer isbest, you should try to answer the question. Your examination score will be based on thenumber of test questions you get right. All questions on the examination have equal weight. There is no penalty for guessing.

4. Don't worry too much about any one question. Just do your best.

C. ADA Notice

With respect to taking this examination, if you have a disability for which you requireaccommodation under the terms of the American With Disabilities Act, please contact the humanresources department for the city or the fire department as soon as possible. Your request mustbe received at least two full working days prior to the day of testing.

Page 3

PART 2. PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Here are some questions like those which will be on the examination. These will give you anidea of the types of questions which you will find on the examination. Answers to thesequestions can be found at the end of this Candidate Orientation Booklet.

There may be some types of questions on the examination which are different from thesequestions. But these practice questions should give you a good idea of the types of questionswhich will be on the examination. You will not be allowed to take the Candidate OrientationBooklet into the examination with you.

A. Mechanical Ability

The use of tools is an important part of a Fire Fighter's job. Fire fighters use tools to helplook for fire which is hidden behind walls, and to rescue people from automobile wrecks. Usingtools and equipment requires mechanical ability.

Below are two examples of the types of mechanical ability questions which will be on theexamination. Notice that there are only three choices for question 2. When a question has onlythree choices, the choice D will not appear on the exam.

Look at this drawing and then answer question 1.

1. If gear 1 is turned in the direction shown by the arrow, how will gear 3 turn?(A) Gear 3 will turn in the opposite direction, and at the same speed as gear 1.(B) Gear 3 will turn in the opposite direction, but at a slower speed as gear 1.(C) Gear 3 will turn in the same direction, and at the same speed as gear 1.(D) Gear 3 will turn in the same direction, but at a slower speed as gear 1.

Page 4

Look at this drawing and then answer question 2.

2. This drawing shows a top view and a side view of a screw. The screw is being used to holdtwo pieces of equipment together. If you turn the screw in the direction of the arrow, whatwould happen?(A) It would make the screw looser.(B) It would make the screw tighter.(C) There is no way to tell.

Page 5

B. Mathematical Ability

Fire fighters must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and to solve math problemsconcerning water pressure, hose length, number of gallons of water used per minute and similartopics. For this reason, there will be some math problems on the examination. These problemswill be stated in words. The correct answer will always be listed as one of the choices. So, ifyou arrive at a different number, you should double check your method and your calculations. Below are two examples of some of the types of problems which will be on the examination. Calculators will NOT be allowed when you take the examination, so you will benefit most fromthese practice problems if you do not use a calculator.

3. A fire engine has a water tank which holds 1,000 gallons, and the water tank is full. Youstart using this water to fight a fire. The hose you are using will put 250 gallons of water onthe fire each minute. How many minutes can you fight the fire before the water in the engineruns out?(A) 2 minutes(B) 4 minutes(C) 6 minutes(D) 8 minutes

4. The water pressure before you open a fire hose is 125 pounds. After you open the hose, thewater pressure is 75 pounds. How much did the pressure change?(A) It went down by 50 pounds(B) It went down by 25 pounds(C) It went up by 50 pounds(D) It went up by 25 pounds

Page 6

C. Spatial Ability

Fire fighters attack fires from many different angles and sides. A fire fighter may be orderedto go to the back of a house and aim a hose line through a window onto a fire. Another firefighter might be ordered to climb on a roof and make a hole in the roof directly over the fire. Inboth cases the fire fighter would have to figure out what the fire building would look like andwhere the fire is when he or she is in another location. Whether outside, inside or on top of abuilding, fire fighters have to be able to quickly decide where they are and where to go to carryout their orders.

These types of duties require the fire fighter to use spatial ability. Below is an example of aquestion which tests spatial ability.

Look at this drawing of the front of a building and then answer question 5.

5. The drawing above shows a building as seen from the front. Which of these could the backof this building look like?

Page 7

Look at this drawing of a building and then answer question 6.

6. The drawing above shows a building as seen from the side. What could the roof of thebuilding look like if you were looking down from above?

Page 8

D. Reading Ability

Fire fighters must be able to read in order to learn and perform their jobs properly. Theexamination will have some questions which measure reading ability. Here are two examples ofquestions which test reading ability.

Use this table to help you answer question 7.

LADDER SELECTION GUIDE

Location Correct Ladder LengthFirst story roof 18 feetSecond story window 24 feetSecond story roof 33 feetThird story window or roof 45 feetFourth story roof over 50 feet

7. You are a fire fighter and you need to get onto a first story roof. Based on the information

above, which of the following ladders should you use?(A) 16 foot(B) 18 foot(C) 24 foot(D) 33 foot

Read this paragraph and then answer question 8.

When fire fighters enter a burning building to perform rescue work, they must firstconsider their own protection. In order to protect the outside of the body from heatand flame, proper clothing should be worn. Standard fire fighting clothing is usuallyenough. The use of self-contained breathing equipment should be required. Ropeguide lines tied to the fire fighter's body are a good practice when a rescue needs tobe performed in the dark or in extremely dangerous situations.

8. What is the main idea of this paragraph?(A) Fire fighting clothing will protect a fire fighter.(B) Self-contained breathing equipment should always be used.(C) A rope should be tied to fire fighters who work in the dark.(D) Fire fighters must protect themselves.

Page 9

E. Reasoning and Problem Solving Ability

Fire fighters must reason and solve problems. There will be questions on the examination totest your ability to do this. Below are two examples of questions which test reasoning andproblem solving ability.

9. In which of the following locations would people probably have the most trouble finding anexit if a fire alarm went off?(A) In an elementary school.(B) In a college dormitory.(C) In a hotel.(D) In an office building.

10. A family uses natural gas for cooking. There is a leak in the gas pipe behind the stove andthe leaking gas has caught on fire. Which of the following should the fire department dofirst?(A) Fix the gas leak.(B) Put out the fire as quickly as possible.(C) Wait until the fire goes out.(D) Turn off the gas where it enters the house.

Page 10

F. EMS Mathematical Ability

When you get beyond the level of basic EMT, job duties require additional mathematicalability including the ability to:a) Add, subtract, multiply and divide common factions, decimal fractions, and whole numbers,

and reduce fractions to their simplest form, convert common fractions to decimal fractions,and convert decimal fractions to common fractions.

b) Convert units of measure (for example, liters to milliliters, grams to milligrams, pounds tokilograms). You will be given the conversion formulas listed below. You will not beallowed to use any notes during the examination. You will not be allowed to use calculatorsduring the examination.

c) Solve word problems involving proportions.d) Round numbers (for example, round to the nearest tenth).

Instructions for questions 11 to 15Use the conversion formulas below when needed to answer questions 11 to 15. When doing

calculations, you should round your answers to the nearest tenth.

Conversion Formulas

1 liter = 1,000 milliliters1 gram = 1,000 milligrams1 kilogram = 1,000 grams1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds1 cc = 1 milliliter

11. 4.04 - 3.87 + 1¼ =(A) 1.2(B) 1.8(C) 9.2(D) None of the above

12. A patient weighs 7 pounds 10 oz. How much does the patient weigh in kilograms (to thenearest tenth of a kilogram)?(A) 3.0(B) 3.5 (C) 4.0(D) None of the above

Page 11

13. You have .2 liters. How much is that in milliliters?(A) 2(B) 20(C) 200 (D) None of the above

14. You are ordered to give 1.5 mg/kg of a certain drug to a patient. You estimate the weight ofthe patient to be 125 kg. How many mg should you give?(A) 85.2(B) 412.5(C) 187.5 (D) None of the above

15. You have vials which contain 10 mg/mL of a certain drug. Each vial holds 10 cc. You needto give 80 mg of the drug to a patient. How many vials will you need in order to be able togive this dose?(A) 1 (B) 2(C) 3(D) None of the above

Page 12

G. Answers to Practice Questions

Here are the correct answers to the practice questions. Use these to check your answers toeach of the practice questions.

1 (C) 6 (B) 11 (D)2 (A) 7 (B) 12 (B)3 (B) 8 (D) 13 (C)4 (A) 9 (C) 14 (C)5 (D) 10 (D) 15 (A)

H. Sample Answer Sheet

Below is part of an answer sheet of the type you will use at the examination. This has beenfilled in with the answers to the practice questions. At the examination, you should use a number2 pencil to mark your answers. So please bring two number 2 pencils with erasers to theexamination.