CITY OF PITTSBURGH
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION
BATTALION CHIEF
CANDIDATE PREPARATION GUIDE
(includes Examination Source List)
1
CANDIDATE PREPARATION GUIDE
BATTALION CHIEF EXAMINATION
This preparation guide has been provided to assist candidates in preparing for the Battalion Chief
examination. The examination will consist of 100 multiple choice questions. The total points for the
examination are 100. The examination will consist of two parts: 25 open book multiple choice questions
and 75 closed book multiple choice questions. The questions are designed to assess candidates on
areas that have been found to be critical to the performance of a Battalion Chief.
•
The first section of the guide, Examination Construction Procedures, provides candidates with
information as to how the Examination is constructed and definitions on the types of items on the
Examination.
•
The second section of the guide, General Test-Taking Strategies, provides candidates with some
general suggestions to follow when taking a multiple choice examination. These strategies
include such things as circling key words in questions and answering easier questions first.
Please keep these points in mind when taking the exam.
•
The third section of the guide, Examination SOURCE LIST, lists the specific sections of the
examination sources that were used to compose all of the questions on the examination.
Candidates should study the source list carefully and focus study time on the specific areas listed.
During the open book examination, candidates will be permitted to reference source books listed
in the Open Book Test Plan.
•
The fourth section of the guide provides sample multiple choice questions to help candidates
become familiar with the kinds of questions that they will encounter on the examination. Answers
to the sample questions have been provided at the end of each subsection.
NOTE: Sample questions are provided to represent the type and format of actual exam
questions. Sample questions are not necessarily written from the approved chapters and/or
pages of the source list. Actual exam questions will ONLY be written from the approved chapters
and/or pages listed in the source list included in this guide.
•
The fifth section of the guide provides a sample answer sheet and instructions for completing the
answer sheet.
•
The last section of the guide contains additional study tips. Please be sure to check the last page
of the guide for these study tips.
In summary, the information in this book should help to reduce some of the anxiety that typically is
associated with test taking situations and prepare candidates specifically for the Battalion Chief
examination.
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GENERAL TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
To do your best on the exam, here are some general test-taking strategies you should remember:
A. Arrive early on the day of the examination. You may need extra time to locate the building or to
offset delays due to traffic, parking or weather. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ARRIVE ON TIME.
CANDIDATES WHO ARRIVE LATE WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE EXAM UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES.
B. Be rested. Try to get a good night’s rest before taking the examination. Experts agree a good
night’s sleep is the most sensible preparation anyone can make before an examination. Fatigue is
recognized as one of the most serious deterrents to success.
C. Listen carefully to the instructions given at the beginning of the examination.
D. Make sure you understand how to correctly mark the answer sheet. (Specific instructions are
included in this study guide and will be provided at the test site.)
E. Make certain you know how much time you have to complete the examination. (The exact time limit
will be provided at the test site and periodic time indications will be given during the examination.)
F. Read each question carefully. Try to answer the question before you look at the choices.
If you know the answer, compare it to the available choices and pick the closest alternative.
G. You will be free to write in your test booklets, so mark the test questions in a way that makes them
easier to understand. Specifically:
1. Use slash marks to break down sentences into small segments. By breaking the question into
smaller segments you will be able to more easily examine all parts of the question, especially
questions which contain several items.
Example Item:
When determining coverage at a fire site, positioning of the apparatus is very important to
accomplish any or all of the five objectives of a firefighting operation. Which of the following is in
accordance with apparatus positioning?
A. Companies assigned to rear coverage should not use alleys, service roads or
driveways to get into position quickly.
B. In wide frontage buildings such as warehouses, garden apartments, large stores and
factories, the first arriving engine company should be positioned to cover the rear
since any victims will generally leave via front entrances and this should remain open
for Paramedic or other EMS trucks.
C. On arriving at a single family detached dwelling the first unit should position itself
immediately in front of the building so that they can have a clear view of the structure.
D. When positioning for a fire in a building that is part of a continuing complex of attached
structures, if the truck company is approaching from the same direction, the engine
company should position itself slightly past the front of the fire building.
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Where would you use slash marks to break down the various parts of this question?
When determining coverage at a fire site, positioning of the apparatus is very important to
accomplish any or all of the five objectives of a firefighting operation. Which of the
following is in accordance with apparatus positioning?
By breaking the question into smaller segments, you can easily see all of the parts that need to
go into the correct answer choice, which is B.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Circle key words that tell what a sentence or passage is about. This makes it easier when you
have to hunt for the answers later.
Example Item:
Poor work atmosphere and lack of support or recognition by superiors are examples of what type
of stressors?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Physical
Psychological
Environmental
Biological
The key words in this question are:
Poor work atmosphere and lack of support or recognition by superiors are examples of
what type of stressors?
These are the words that help you to focus on the topic of the question. Answer choice B is
correct.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Find and underline clue words in items such as some, all, every, sometimes, and, and or.
a. Words such as all, never, none, and every harden a sentence by indicating there are no
exceptions. As a rule, answer choices with these words have a lesser chance of being
correct.
b. Words such as sometimes, may, generally and possibly soften a statement and leave more
room for the answer choice to be correct.
c. The clue word AND means that all parts of the answer choice must be present or true.
The clue word OR means that there is a choice of situations and that only one of the parts of
the answer choice must be true for it to be correct.
______________________________________________________________________________
H. When you go through each question on the exam, answer the easy questions first and leave
the difficult ones until you’ve answered all of the questions that you are sure of. This will prevent you
from spending too much time on any one question and ensure that you have the time to respond to,
and receive credit for, every question that you can answer correctly.
I.
Don’t get bogged down if there is a word or sentence you do not understand. You may get the main
idea without knowing the individual word or the individual sentence.
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J. If you don’t know the answer to the question, first eliminate those choices which are clearly wrong.
Then, put a mark next to each remaining choice to indicate what you think about it (e.g., bad, good,
or possible). This will save you time, particularly if you decide to skip the question and come back to
it later, by reducing the number of answers you have to re-read and re-evaluate before making your
final choice.
K. There is no penalty for incorrect answers on this examination, so even if you must guess, answer
every question. If the exam period is about to end and you believe there will not be substantial
number of questions (e.g., more than 5 or 10) that you will not be able to complete, reserve some
time (e.g., 60 seconds) toward the very end of the exam period to answer these questions, even if
you must guess. While your guesses may not be correct, the alternative is to leave these questions
blank and be sure to get them wrong.
L. If you have any questions during the exam you may ask a test proctor for assistance.
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TEST PLAN
The Fire Battalion Chief examination will consist of two parts. Following is a test plan for both
the open and closed book examinations. Each test plan lists the SPECIFIC SECTIONS of the
examination study sources that were used to compose ALL of the questions on the exam.
Carefully read the test plans and focus your studying on these particular sections.
REMEMBER: ONLY the specified sections listed in these test plans
were used to complete the test questions. The test does not refer to
other sources.
NOTE:
• Each candidate must bring his or her own sources for the OPEN BOOK exam.
Sources will not be provided at the exam.
• Candidates may not borrow sources during the exam.
• You are not permitted to bring any notes taken during study sessions or
classroom courses to the exam.
• Only the sources listed on the Battalion Chief announcement are permitted.
• If you do not bring your own sources with you, you will be permitted to take the
open book portion of the exam but you WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS to
reference materials.
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BATTALION CHIEF
2015 - WRITTEN EXAMINATION
SOURCE LIST
NOTES:
• One copy of each of the sources listed in this announcement will be available in the Fire Bureau’s
administrative offices for verification and comparison purposes only.
•
The examination is based only on the sources which follow. If any changes/revisions to any sources
(e.g. S.O.P. revisions) occur during the time from this posting through the written examination date,
they will NOT be used on the written examination.
•
Any/all tables, graphs and figures will NOT be used on this examination.
CLOSED BOOK TEST PLAN
75 QUESTIONS
1. Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Handbook – Fifth Edition, 2008,
National Fire Protection Association
Chapters: 4, 5, 6, 8, & 11
2. The Fire Chief’s Handbook - Sixth Edition, 2006, PennWell Corporation
Chapters: 1, 6, 9, 15, & 17
3. CITY OF PITTSBURGH NO DISCRIMINATION/NO HARASSMENT/NO RETALIATION
POLICY AND REPORTING PROCEDURE - Revised March 2010
4. Bureau of Fire, Laws & Regulations – 1983, November, 2014
5. Structural Firefighting – Strategy and Tactics, Second Edition, 2008, Bernard Klaene
and Russell Sanders, Jones and Bartlett Publishers
Chapters 11 and 12
6. Risk Management in the Fire Service, 1997
Stephen S. Wilder, Fire Engineering Books and Videos
Entire book
7. Ethics Theory and Practice, Tenth Edition, 2009, Jacques P. Thiroux and Keith W. Krasemann
Chapter 1, pages 2-3
Chapter 7, pages 125-127
Chapter 8, page 159, 168-169
Chapter 12, pages 278-279, 286-287, 290-291
Appendix 4, pages 453-460
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OPEN BOOK TEST PLAN
25 QUESTIONS
1. Standard Operating Procedures - (S.O.P.’s)
SECTION
TITLE
42.0
Infectious Disease Procedures
45.0
Annual Hose Test
50.0
Reserve Apparatus (except 50.0 - 50.3 & 50.8 - 50.10)
60.0
Muzzle Canine Repellent
61.0
Civil Unrest Plan (use pages 15 - 18 only)
64.0
Pre-Fire Planning
67.0
Incident Injury Investigation
101
Personnel Appearance
102
Identification Cards
103
Uniforms
104
Protective Clothing
105
Protective Body Armor
106
Monthly Apparatus Reports
107
Apparatus Repairs
108
Security
110
Apparatus Response
111
Transfer Procedure
112
Accident Procedures-Bureau of Fire Vehicles
120
Fire Station Tours
121
Ride Along Procedures
122
Employee Contact with Media
130
Individual Training Report
131
Incident Reporting
201
Permanent Driving Assignments
202
Acting Assignments
203
Exchange of Duty Request
210
Work Related Injury, Illness or Exposure
211
Return to Duty
212
Sick Leave
301
Incident Command System
302
Command Procedures
303
Incident Safety Officer
304
Identification & Accountability
305
Rapid Intervention
306
Emergency Incident Rehabilitation
307
First Responder Units
308
Radio Communications
311
Alarm Activation Response
312
High Rise Operations
313
Fire/Smoke Damage Estimate
314
Search Practices
315
Hydrant Flow Testing
316
Water Tender
319
Fire Ground Operations
320
Hazardous Materials Response- First Responder
321
Hazardous Materials Response Team
325
Response to Gas Conditions
326
Carbon Monoxide Investigation Procedure
EFFECTIVE DATE
11/24/14 (REV)
10/13/87
02/01/93 (REV)
05/12/94
09/21/93
06/21/96
11/14/94
05/01/02
05/01/02
02/25/09 (REV)
02/23/07 (REV)
05/01/03
11/03/06
02/23/07 (REV)
08/06/07
11/01/06 (REV)
05/01/03 (REV)
05/01/03
05/01/02
05/01/02
05/01/02
04/01/14 (REV)
04/23/10
05/01/02
05/01/02
05/01/02
05/01/03
05/11/07 (REV)
02/20/06 (REV)
05/15/09 (REV)
05/01/02
02/23/07 (REV)
02/23/07 (REV)
03/04/14 (REV)
08/06/07 (REV)
04/13/15 (REV)
11/15/05
05/01/03
06/05/09 (REV)
05/01/03
05/01/03
05/11/07 (REV)
05/11/07
03/16/15 (REV)
04/23/10 (REV)
09/18/09 (REV)
09/18/09
03/04/14 (REV)
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SAMPLE QUESTIONS – MULTIPLE CHOICE
The following questions are examples of the types of multiple choice questions you will find on
the exam. Read each question carefully and circle the appropriate letter for your answer choice.
An answer key has been provided at the end of this section.
The following question is based on the Truck Company Fireground Operations
1. Convection is the travel of heat through the motion of heated matter – that is, through the motion
of smoke, hot air, heated gases and flying embers. Which of the following is compliant with
convection according to Chapter 1, Introduction?
A. Convection is the main reason for ventilation activities in fire department operations.
B. In any type of building, when fire is prevented from spreading upward, convection carries
the fire inward.
C. Once the fire has built to sizable proportions, convection is the greatest cause of exposure
fires, spreading fire rapidly from structure to structure or through storage areas.
D. Convection is the travel of heat through a solid body.
The following question is based on the Fire Company Inspection Program Book
2. Immediate access to fire department connections shall be maintained at all times and without
obstruction by fences, bushes, trees, walls or any other object for minimum of __________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
2 feet.
3 feet.
4 feet.
5 feet.
The following question is based on the Engine Company Fireground Operations
3. Upon the arrival of the first unit at a fire in a single family detached dwelling, which of the
following procedures is considered best?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The first unit should cover the rear.
The first unit should immediately position itself directly in front of the building.
The first unit should proceed just past the building. This permits observation on one side
as they approach, then the front, and then the far side when they stop.
The rear should only be covered by the next-arriving engine company, not a truck or
rescue company.
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The following question is based on the CONTRACT Between Pittsburgh Firefighters Local No. 1
and the City of Pittsburgh
4. Which of the following is/are in accordance with Section 6, Transfers?
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Each employee will have ten (10) days from the day of the posting to submit a bid on the
authorized form, on posted vacancies of rank equal to his or her own.
The City shall compile a list of permanent vacancies every two (2) weeks and shall post such
list in each unit or company not more than twelve (12) days before the end of the current pay
period.
Each employee may submit no more than twenty-three (23) bids in the order of preference. If
an employee is the senior qualified bidder on any one of the bids submitted, said employee
must accept the position so bid.
If all positions of equal rank are filled, an employee, with the permission of the Chief, may
submit his or her own position for bid in accordance with this Section. The employee so doing
shall be transferred to the vacancy created by the employee successfully bidding on the
posted position.
A.
B.
C.
D.
I & II only.
I & IV only.
I, II & IV only.
I, II, III & IV.
The following question is based on the Pittsburgh High Rise Operations Manual
5. According to Incident Command System priority assignments, the Command Staff Chief
supervises and coordinates the activities of the Liaison Officer. The Liaison Officer:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Provides liaison between the media and the Incident Commander.
Provides a point of contact for assisting/cooperating agencies and identifies current or
potential inter-agency needs.
Consults with the Command Staff Chief regarding any constraints on the release of
information.
Prepares press briefings.
The following question is based on the Hazardous Materials Response Handbook
6. According to NFPA 471, Chapter 4, the cold zone contains the command post and such other
support functions as are deemed necessary to control the incident. Which of the following is
compliant with the cold zone according to this chapter?
A. The cold zone is also referred to as the decontamination zone in other documents.
B. The cold zone should be downwind of the hot zone and as far away from it as is practical.
C. The cold zone should be large enough to accommodate all the decontamination
procedures that will take place in it.
D. None of the above is in compliance with the cold zone.
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The following question is based on The Fire Chief’s Handbook.
7. Chapter 1, Management in the Fire Service, defines and differentiates between management and
leadership. Which of the statements below best describes leadership according to this chapter?
A. Leadership is the term that is used to imply that an organization is financed, structured,
staffed, directed, and evaluated in such a way that it accomplishes its mission in an
effective manner.
B. Leadership means that everything in the organization is being done the way that it is
supposed to be done.
C. Leadership is providing a direction, or a focus that drives the organization to move in a
specific direction.
D. Leadership used in the context of fire service is a process of structuring the activities of
the organization in such a way that it achieves efficiency and effectiveness in the use of
human and physical resources to protect life and property.
The following question is based on the Standard Operating Procedures
8. According to S.O.P. 45, the single most important point to remember when performing a service
test on a fire hose is to:
A.
B.
C.
D.
secure the nozzle to avoid possible whipping of other uncontrolled reaction.
attach a shut-off nozzle to the end of 100 feet of hose line with nozzle open.
connect lines to a gated discharge outlet.
remove all air from the hose and appliances before raising the pressure above the fill
pressure.
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SAMPLE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
ANSWER KEY
1.
A
2.
B
3.
C
4.
B
5.
B
6.
D
7.
C
8.
D
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWER SHEET
In the box on your answer sheet marked Examination For the Position of: Please print Battalion Chief.
You must stay within the lines of this box. DO NOT write over the heavy blue line or your exam may not
be correctly scored by the computer.
Look at the upper right hand corner of your admission letter. You will see a 9 digit identification number.
Put this number in the boxes in the section marked Identification Number on your answer sheet. Now
fill in the corresponding circles beneath for each number of your Identification Number. This number is
used to ensure that the answer sheets are graded anonymously. After the grading the numbers will be
matched to your name.
1. The answer sheet will be scored by computer so handle it carefully. Be careful not to make any
unnecessary marks or write anything other than what we ask you to write. Use the pencil which
we have given to you. If you erase be sure to do so completely.
2. It is important that you do not put your name or any other identifying marks on the test booklets or
the answer sheet. IF you do write your name on the booklets or answer sheet, your examination
will be disqualified.
3. Turn to the back of the answer sheet. There is an example of how to fill in the circles on this
answer sheet. Please be sure to fill in the circles exactly as shown in No. 4, so that your answer
is scored properly by the computer.
Please turn your answer sheet back to side one.
In the box on your answer sheet marked Today’s Date, please fill in today’s date, using 2 digits for the
Day and 4 digits for the Year. Fill in the corresponding circles for the date.
It is necessary for the Civil Service Commission to collect race/gender data in order to perform a
statistical analysis of the examination. On your answer sheet, please fill in the box marked Gender by
filling in the appropriate circle.
In the box marked Race, please fill in the appropriate circle.
In the space marked Test Form, you will be instructed to fill in the circle next to the appropriate letter.
Do not make any other marks on the answer sheet.
PLEASE NOTE: The answer sheet has answer space No. 2 below No. 1, and answer spaces 11-20 in
the next column and so on.
When you are finished with the test, you will be directed to an exit table. The person at the exit table will
put the fingerprint of your right index finger on the back of your answer sheet. This is to ensure that your
answer sheet is yours and no one else’s. It is important that you cooperate fully with the individual who
is taking your fingerprint. When being fingerprinted, relax and follow the instructions.
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ADDITIONAL STUDY TIPS
•
Be sure you are studying from the correct sources. Check your sources against those listed on
the announcement and make sure they are the same.
•
Find the time of day that is best for YOU to study. Find a quiet time when you can read and
concentrate. Don’t try to study when you’re tired.
•
Set aside some time each day to study. Don’t depend on last minute cram sessions.
•
Take notes and highlight important topics as you study. Then you can easily go back and study
them as the test date nears.
•
Write main topics and concepts on an index card. Then you can refer to them as you study.
•
Pool your knowledge - form a study group. Many people study better with others and learn from
discussions of various topics.
•
Give yourself or have a friend give you a quiz on each chapter or section after you finish
studying it. This will help you to know your strengths and weaknesses.
•
If you don’t understand a topic -- ASK! Ask a colleague whose opinion you value to explain.
•
Choose the right environment in which to study. Some people need absolute quiet, while others
may prefer background music. Do what’s best for YOU.
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