Define 'engine company' and 'truck company' in fire service context.

• A. Engine company supplies water and performs lines and extinguishment; truck company handles access, ventilation, search and rescue, and forcible entry.
• B. Engine company handles access and search.
• C. Truck company drives the engine.
• D. Truck company supplies water and operates nozzles.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how engine and truck companies differ in their on-scene roles. An engine company is focused on water and suppression: it secures a water supply, lays and advances hose lines, and applies water to knock down the fire. A truck company concentrates on access and support functions: it brings ladders, performs ventilation, conducts search and rescue, and handles forcible entry to gain access and perform operations inside. Therefore, the best answer matches the engine with supplying water and handling hose lines for extinguishment, while the truck handles access, ventilation, search and rescue, and forcible entry. The other options mismatch these roles—for example, placing access and search on the engine, implying the truck drives the engine, or claiming the truck supplies water—because those duties belong to the engine or to separate units, not the truck.