Chicago Firefighter cheat sheet

Subject-verb agreement: singular subject takes singular verb; intervening prepositional phrases do not change the number (e.g., 'The box of tools is heavy').

Pronoun-antecedent agreement: a pronoun must match its antecedent in number and gender; collective nouns (team, crew) are usually singular in American English.

Dangling modifiers: an introductory phrase must modify the subject of the main clause; if it does not, rewrite the sentence (e.g., 'Walking to the station, the fire alarm sounded' is wrong).

Parallel structure: items in a list or comparison must share the same grammatical form (e.g., 'reading, writing, and arithmetic' not 'reading, writing, and to do arithmetic').

Punctuation: use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) linking two independent clauses; use a semicolon to join two independent clauses without a conjunction.

Active vs. passive voice: prefer active voice for clarity and directness; passive voice is acceptable when the actor is unknown or unimportant.

Spelling and word choice: distinguish commonly confused words (affect/effect, accept/except, principal/principle, stationary/stationery, their/there/they're).

Sentence combining: eliminate redundancy and wordiness; combine short choppy sentences using subordinate clauses or participial phrases while preserving meaning.

Capitalization: capitalize proper nouns, titles before names, the first word of a sentence, and the pronoun 'I'; do not capitalize common nouns unless they are part of a proper name.

Main idea: identify the central point the author conveys; it is often stated in the first or last sentence of a paragraph, or must be inferred from the whole passage.

Supporting details: locate specific facts, examples, or statistics that back up the main idea; scan for keywords from the question in the passage.

Inference: draw a logical conclusion that is not explicitly stated but is supported by evidence in the text; avoid assumptions beyond what the passage implies.

Vocabulary in context: determine the meaning of a word by examining the surrounding words and the overall tone of the sentence, not by its most common definition.

Author's purpose: decide whether the author aims to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain; the purpose shapes the tone and structure.

Tone and attitude: recognize the author's feeling toward the subject (e.g., critical, enthusiastic, neutral) through word choice and connotation.

Sequence and cause-effect: note chronological order and causal relationships signaled by words like 'because', 'therefore', 'as a result', 'before', 'after'.

Fact vs. opinion: distinguish statements that can be verified from those that express a belief or judgment; opinion often includes evaluative adjectives.

Lever principle: a lever balances when the effort force times its distance from the fulcrum equals the load force times its distance from the fulcrum (F₁ × d₁ = F₂ × d₂).

Mechanical advantage of a lever: MA = length of effort arm ÷ length of load arm; a longer effort arm reduces the force needed to lift a load.

Pulley systems: a single fixed pulley changes direction but gives no mechanical advantage; a movable pulley halves the effort force; the number of supporting rope segments equals the mechanical advantage.

Gear ratios: for two meshed gears, the ratio of their teeth determines speed and torque; the smaller gear turns faster and with less torque than the larger gear.

Wheel and axle: the mechanical advantage equals the radius of the wheel divided by the radius of the axle; a larger wheel makes it easier to turn the axle.

Inclined plane: the force needed to move an object up a ramp equals the weight times the height of the ramp divided by its length; a longer, gentler ramp reduces effort.

Pressure: pressure = force ÷ area; a smaller area produces greater pressure for the same force (e.g., a sharp tool cuts better).

Hydraulic systems: pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted equally in all directions (Pascal's principle); force can be multiplied by using pistons of different areas.

Electrical basics: in a series circuit, current is the same through all components and voltage divides; in a parallel circuit, voltage is the same across branches and current divides.

Chain of command: report to your immediate supervisor first; if unavailable, follow the designated acting supervisor or duty officer according to department policy.

Teamwork: prioritize crew safety and task completion over personal recognition; offer help to colleagues and communicate clearly about your actions.

Conflict resolution: address disagreements privately and respectfully; focus on the issue, not the person; seek a supervisor's guidance if the conflict escalates.

Communication on the fireground: use clear, concise radio messages; acknowledge orders; repeat back critical instructions to confirm understanding.

Stress management: recognize signs of stress in yourself and others; use department resources such as peer support or employee assistance programs.

Integrity: follow rules and procedures even when unsupervised; report errors or near-misses honestly; do not cover up mistakes.

Customer service: treat the public with courtesy and empathy; explain actions simply; protect privacy and dignity during emergencies.

Decision-making under pressure: gather available information, consider consequences, act within your scope of training, and reassess as the situation changes.