Extinguish Your Curiosity About Firefighters - How Much Do You Know?

Leni Davenport profile picture

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Last updated · 10 min play time

Does the term "Firefighter" bring to mind the glamorous images of rugged muscle men with colorful uniforms and hair blowing in the wind that you see in the movies and on TV? The reality is that these courageous people are hard-working, self sacrificing and well educated as to the nature and types of fires and how to best combat them. Let's see how much you know about these real-life heroes.


Ms. Davenport is a freelance graphic designer, an online retailer, and is a part-time writer, home stager and wedding cake designer. She is the mother of four and grandmother of seven. Enjoying classic films and road trips are among her favorite pastimes.

Firefighter quiz Quiz Questions

30 Questions · 12.6K Plays · 1 Comment

Question 1

What does the acronym SCBA stand for?

  • A
    Strong Box Cutting Appliance
  • B
    Self Contained Breathing Apparatus
  • C
    Semi-Conductor Back-up Attenuator
  • D
    Shared Contact Bandwidth Adapter

Question 2

What is the gear called that firefighters put on when summoned to a fire?

  • A
    Flame Suit
  • B
    Smokey Suit
  • C
    Turnout gear
  • D
    CPG (Conflagration Protective Gear)

Question 3

Why are many firefighters required to be clean shaven and have no facial piercings?

  • A
    So the piercings don’t overheat and cause burns
  • B
    So their beards won’t catch on fire
  • C
    So they look better on the firefighters’ calendar
  • D
    So that their breathing apparatus will fit properly

Question 4

What do firefighters use a pike pole for?

  • A
    Fishing on their days off
  • B
    For moving or retrieving items in a fire
  • C
    Keeping their grip on icy walkways
  • D
    Reaching equipment that is stored in high places

Question 5

What happens to a firefighter's retirement contributions when he or she dies?

  • A
    Their living spouse gets 50%
  • B
    Their funeral gets paid for using the funds
  • C
    Their family receives a large bonus for their service
  • D
    The funds are used to help the fire house buy new equipment

Question 6

How much visibility does a firefighter have inside a burning building?

  • A
    0 to 15%
  • B
    15 to 35%
  • C
    35 to 60%
  • D
    60 to 85%

Question 7

Which type of building burns faster?

  • A
    A traditional building with walls dividing the space?
  • B
    A prison
  • C
    An open plan home or business with few dividing walls
  • D
    A bank vault

Question 8

Which of the following trucks is not used by firefighters?

  • A
    Pumper truck
  • B
    Tanker truck
  • C
    Ladder truck
  • D
    Siphon truck

Question 9

What do they call firefighters who are dropped from airplanes into a forest fire?

  • A
    Pyro Divers
  • B
    Hotfoot Crew
  • C
    Smokejumpers
  • D
    Blaze Bombers

Question 10

What is the number one cause of death among those who fight fires for a living?

  • A
    Heart Attack
  • B
    Falling from burning structures
  • C
    Suffocation from smoke inhalation
  • D
    Heat Stroke

Question 11

When the alarm sounds in the firehouse, how long do firefighters have to get dressed and ready to pull out of the station?

  • A
    Fourteen minutes
  • B
    Seven Minutes
  • C
    Two minutes
  • D
    Ten minutes

Question 12

Which of these unusual tasks is a not part of a firefighter’s shift?

  • A
    Sleeping
  • B
    Sewer cleanouts
  • C
    Tree-trimming
  • D
    Public speaking

Question 13

Firefighters are famous for Firehouse Chili and other great recipes, but who pays for the food?

  • A
    Donated by local organizations
  • B
    One of the perks of the job
  • C
    Donated by Food Networks’ “Chefs for Fire Prevention” charity
  • D
    Firefighters buy their own

Question 14

Which disease is the most likely cause of death for a retired firefighter?

  • A
    Diabetes
  • B
    Cancer
  • C
    Kidney failure
  • D
    Reynaud’s syndrome

Question 15

What percentage of US firefighters are volunteer?

  • A
    29%
  • B
    7%
  • C
    69%
  • D
    42%

Question 16

What is a Halligan bar made of?

  • A
    Protein powder, oats and energy compounds
  • B
    Iron and teak
  • C
    Drop-forged steel
  • D
    Irish oak and leather

Question 17

Who started the first known fire company and where was it located?

  • A
    Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia
  • B
    John Halligan in Nantucket
  • C
    Simon Renfro in San Francisco
  • D
    Paul Revere in Boston

Question 18

What title is given to the officer who inspects buildings for fire safety in order to prevent fires, as well as conducting investigations following fires?

  • A
    Deputy of Fire Safety
  • B
    Fire Safety Management Coordinator
  • C
    Fire Prevention Officer
  • D
    Fire Marshal

Question 19

What legal recriminations can firefighters take against you for a house fire?

  • A
    Steep fines for their services
  • B
    Nothing
  • C
    30 days in jail pending investigation
  • D
    Probation and house arrest

Question 20

What was the average annual salary in 2017 for paid firefighters in the US?

  • A
    $63,000 per year
  • B
    $28,750 per year
  • C
    $49,080 per year
  • D
    $73,090 per year

Question 21

When do firefighters typically receive more distress calls?

  • A
    During a full moon
  • B
    Weekends, when more people tend to drink
  • C
    Holidays
  • D
    Hunting season

Question 22

Why were Dalmatians originally so popular as firehouse dogs?

  • A
    Their spots provide high contrast, making them easier to see in smoky conditions.
  • B
    Their olfactory system is more sensitive, allowing them to sniff out survivors more quickly.
  • C
    They can eat food that would poison a human without getting too ill, but can indicate the food is not safe for firefighters to eat.
  • D
    They get along better with horses.

Question 23

Why are firefighters at a higher risk of getting contagious diseases?

  • A
    Burning buildings release chemicals that cause disease
  • B
    The high anxiety they face on the job weakens their immunity
  • C
    No one knows
  • D
    They are exposed to many diseases during medical emergencies

Question 24

On average, how many fires are started by firefighters annually?

  • A
    85
  • B
    210
  • C
    100
  • D
    165

Question 25

How does the general public make firefighters' job more difficult?

  • A
    Ambulance chasing
  • B
    Soundproof cars and headphones
  • C
    Trying to “help”
  • D
    Trying to get them to honk as they go by

Question 26

What was the name of the first recorded female firefighter?

  • A
    Phyllis Rhae Compton
  • B
    Sarah Benedict
  • C
    Molly Williams
  • D
    Sonja “Dutch” Schurman

Question 27

Which of these is the higher position in a fire crew?

  • A
    Battalion Chief
  • B
    Fire Chief
  • C
    Lieutenant
  • D
    Captain

Question 28

How hot can a firefighter’s uniform get before melting?

  • A
    890º
  • B
    1000º
  • C
    1460º
  • D
    653º

Question 29

What is the most unusual method of putting out fires that we know of?

  • A
    Urinating on the flames
  • B
    Soaking yourself and your clothing and running into the flames
  • C
    Covering small fires with wet grass clippings to create a steamy environment
  • D
    Smothering with bubble wrap to limit oxygen exposure

Question 30

How old do you have to be to become a firefighter?

  • A
    18 years old
  • B
    21 years old
  • C
    25 years old
  • D
    16 years old

Comments (1)

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Some good questions in this quiz. Thanks

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