FDNY Firefighter flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central point that the whole passage supports. A detail answer restates one sentence; the main idea must cover the entire passage, including its conclusion.

Scope words

Words such as all, only, never, and primarily that set how broad a claim is. An answer that widens or narrows the passage's scope is incorrect.

Sequence markers

Words like before, after, until, once, and then that fix the order of events. Locate the marker, then map each step to it before choosing an answer.

Valid inference

A conclusion forced by the stated facts, requiring no outside knowledge. If a choice needs a plausible guess rather than the text, it is out of scope.

NOT/EXCEPT questions

Questions asking which choice the passage does not support. Verify each option against the text; the correct answer is the only one left unsupported.

Cause versus correlation

Because, therefore, and as a result signal causation. Following, along with, and coincided signal only co-occurrence. Never upgrade correlation to cause.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb matches the true subject, ignoring phrases in between. A list of names is ready; the box of tools sits on the shelf.

Dangling modifier

A descriptive phrase before a comma must describe the subject right after it. Running to the truck, the firefighter grabbed the helmet, not the helmet was grabbed.

Parallel structure

Items in a series share grammatical form. Inspecting, testing, and repairing is correct; inspecting, testing, and to repair is not.

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined by only a comma. Fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction such as and or but.

Pronoun case

Use I, he, she, they for subjects and me, him, her, them for objects. Between you and me is correct; between you and I is not.

Modifier placement

Keep a modifier next to the word it limits. Only the captain signed differs from the captain only signed; position changes meaning.

Redundancy removal

Delete word pairs that repeat meaning, such as each and every, advance planning, and return back. The shortest version that keeps the meaning is preferred.

Chunking

Grouping items into blocks of three or four. Working memory holds about four chunks at once, so chunking lets a longer sequence be retained.

Spacing effect

Distributing review across several short sessions produces stronger long-term recall than one session of the same total length.

Serial position effect

The first and last items of a list are recalled best. Middle items need deliberate extra rehearsal because they receive neither primacy nor recency benefit.

Retrieval practice

Recalling information without looking at it. Self-testing strengthens memory more than re-reading the same material, because recall is the skill being trained.

Proactive interference

Old, well-learned material blocks new similar material. When a new procedure replaces an old one, study the differences explicitly rather than re-drilling the old version.

Recall versus recognition

Recognition means picking an answer from options; recall means producing it from memory. The job demands recall, so train with fill-in and spoken recitation.

Meaningful association

Linking a new number or term to a known fact, image, or place. Associations give retrieval paths that rote digit repetition does not create.

Interference from similar items

Learning two similar codes or street names back-to-back causes confusion. Separate similar items with different material to keep them distinct.

Problem statement first

Before choosing a fix, state what is wrong, who is affected, and what happens if nothing is done. Many wrong answers solve a different problem.

Fact versus assumption

A fact is stated in the scenario. Anything that merely seems likely but is not given cannot be used to justify an answer choice.

Priority by consequence

Order actions by outcome: life safety first, then preventing escalation, then property protection, then documentation and reporting.

Condition versus act

An unsafe condition is a state, such as a frayed cord. An unsafe act is a behavior, such as bypassing a lockout. Conditions are corrected; acts are addressed with the person.

Single point of failure

One blocked exit, missing radio, or unmarked hazard that defeats the whole system. The best response removes or reports that specific element.

Escalation triggers

Smoke where none should be, water where it should not be, unusual heat, gas odor, or a person unaccounted for. Any of these justifies immediate notification.

Matched response size

The chosen action should fit the described hazard. Evacuating a building for burnt toast overreacts; ignoring smoke underreacts. Both are wrong.

Clock-face directions

Straight ahead is 12 o'clock, directly right is 3, behind is 6, directly left is 9. Convert every direction to this frame before answering.

Right-turn rule

Facing north, each 90-degree right turn rotates the heading clockwise: north to east to south to west. Left turns rotate counterclockwise.

Compass bearings

North is 000 or 360, east 090, south 180, west 270. A clockwise turn adds degrees to the bearing; a counterclockwise turn subtracts.

Map scale

Ground distance equals map distance times the scale factor. Two centimeters on a 1:10,000 map represents 200 meters on the ground.

Reverse route

To retrace a path, reverse the order of the moves and invert each turn: left becomes right. Distances and headings stay the same.