If you go into an interview with answers to every question here, and pay heed to the tips which follow the questions, you will do good.  You may not get the job, but you will have done well, and that counts for a lot.

Fire Department Interview Questions

Standard Fire Interview Questions:

1. Tell us about yourself.
2. Why do you want to be a firefighter?  When did you decide on this career?
3. What is the job of a firefighter?  Are you qualified?
4. What have you done to prepare for this position?
5. What are you bringing to the job?
6. Why do you want to work for this city or agency?
7. What do you know about this city or agency?
8. What do you like to do?  What are your hobbies?
9. What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
10. What would your employer say about you?
11. What are the attributes of a firefighter?  What is the most important one to you?

How would you handle the following scenarios?

1. Drinking or drugs on the job?
2. Stealing on the job?
3. Conflict with another employee?
4. Irate citizen?
5. An employee crisis at an emergency?
6. Sexual harassment?
7. Racial situation?
8. Conflicting orders at an emergency?
9. An order that could place you in great danger or be morally wrong?
10. What do you say when you don’t know an answer to a question?
11. Are you on any other hiring lists?  What would you do if another city called you?
12. When can you start if we offered you the job?
13. How far do you want to go in the fire service?  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
14. What are the quality traits of a firefighter?  Which one is the most important to you?
15. Have you ever been in an emergency situation?  Tell us what you did.
16. What word would best describe you in a positive way? A negative way?
17. How do you handle conflict?
18. Why would we select you over the other candidates?
19. Do you have anything to add?
20. Define commonsense.
21. Define diversity.
22. What is the Mission Statement of our Fire Department?
23. What is the Vision Statement of our Fire Department?
24. Who is the Fire Chief?
25. Who makes up the Command staff of this Fire Department?
26. What type of City Government is this city?
27. What class department are we? (ISO Rating)
28. Tell us about the job announcement.
29. What are you short, mid-range and long term goals?
30. The Star of Life represents what?
31. The Maltese cross represents what?
32. What is insubordination?
33. Define Teamwork and why is Teamwork important in the fire service?
34. What is your strongest communication skill?
35. Define Character.
36. Define ethics.
37. Can you explain the Fire Tetrahedron?
38. Describe a typical day of a firefighter.
39. Define Customer Service, and how does it relate to the fire service?

Ways to strike out on an oral board interview

1. Poor personal appearance.
2. Lack of interest and enthusiasm, appear lazy.
3. Passiveness or indifference.
4. Overemphasis on wages.
5. Condemnation of past employers.
6. Failure to look at board members during interview.
7. Limp, fishy handshake.
8. Overbearing, overaggressive, conceited with superiority or “know-it-all” attitude.
9. Inability to express self clearly:  poor voice, diction and/or grammar.
10. Lack of confidence and pose:  nervous, ill at ease.
11. Make excuses:  evasive, hedges on unfavorable factors in work records, etc.
12. Lack of tact, courtesy; ill-mannered.
13. Lack of maturity and/or vitality.
14. Indecision.
15. Sloppy application.
16. Merely “shopping” for the position.
17. Want position for only a short time.
18. Lack of interest in jurisdiction.
19. Domination of interview, high pressure type.
20. Low moral standards.
21. Intolerant, strong prejudices.
22. Narrow interest.
23. Inability to listen and/or take criticism.

What to bring to your Interview

1. Enough resumes, and color copies of your certificates for the interviewers and at least 2 extra just in case.
2. Money for parking garages, or parking meters.

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Reminders about the hiring process:

1) Everything you have done since the age of 18 is made available to background investigators and fire depts.

a)    Past employment
b)    Credit scores
c)    All financial information
d)    Rental history, evictions, late payments etc….
e)    School grades
f)     Background investigators will check with friends, family, wives, girlfriends, work associates, bosses/managers/supervisors etc….
g)    Ex-wives, ex-husbands
h)   Neighbors
i)     DMV drivers license info, criminal background, Live Scan

2) Myspace, facebook, and any other online networking sites you have can and will be looked at, so watch what you say and post on them.

3) To get hired you need to separate yourself from other candidates.

a)    College degree AS, BS, BA, Master’s degree
b)    Paramedic school
c)    Life experience
d)    Outside training, check the websites list
e)   VOLUNTEER lots of places look for volunteers, do something you have an interest in, (church groups, community groups, MADD, Big Brothers, Red Cross etc…..)
f)    Don’t limit yourself to one geographical area (ie…Contra Costa Co, or Alameda Co)
g)    Take as many fire tests as possible.
h)    Take the CPAT test, keep card up to date
i)     Learn to interview

i) Eye contact
ii) Firm handshake
iii) Address interviewers by name, rank etc….
iv) If your asked “do you have any questions for us?” Instead of asking questions, Thank them for their time to interview you etc….
v) Bring your resume, color copies, application to the interview in duplicates (usually one for each interviewer + 1 extra)

j)     I suggest when you send in your application type it as a pdf document for neatness.
k)    If you’re asked to provide certificates, COLOR photocopy them NO black and whites.

Day 3 –  Union City Fire Department Captain, Ricky Hurtado ran this evenings class and packed our heads full of information on the topic of fire behavior.  I can’t begin to transcribe all the notes I took that night, but I can comment that Capt. Hurtado was an excellent instructor and knows how to lecture so that you don’t fall asleep.  He’s interesting, full of knowledge, but grounded and effective in connecting with his students.  I look forward to seeing more of him in the academy.

Day 4 –  Here was a biggie.  Day 4 was a Saturday and retired Chief Joe Robinson was with us for 10 hours (not counting breaks and an hour lunch) of fire prevention and investigation education.  Whooooo, it was a long day at information station!  The most amazing thing about it is how Chief Robinson can pull it off.  Anybody who can effectively lecture on a single topic for such a substantial amount of time is a dedicated man in my book.

As an instructor Joe Robinson (who I’ve discussed in other parts of this blog) is a downright wealth of information packed into a single human being.  He gave us such a massive information dump, there would be no way to retain it all, had it not been for his extremely organized and to the point Powerpoint presentations.  Chief is also a very courteous and laid back guy with a subtle sense of humor.  It seemed obvious to me that he enjoys teaching and appears to be doing a good job of keeping busy while loving retirement.

Day 5 –   Another of my previous fire instructors, San Jose FD Captain, Don Torres, ran Tuesday’s lecture covering ICS (Incident Command System) in a through and to the point manner.  He had to as there was a ton of information to cover in only 4 hours.  Taking notes was a challenge, but my approach was write down key words and points and review them later.  Most of all I wanted to make sure I was hearing what Mr. Torres was saying.

If you happen to be a student at Los Medanos College, I highly recommend taking ‘Building and Construction for Fire Protection’ with Captain Torres.  He’s a fun teacher who appears to me to be at the top of his game.  He also let us know that we could earn our ICS-100 certification through FEMA online.   FEMA offers a study at home course and certification for this and other progams.  If you haven’t done it, you might want to spend some time on that.

Day 6 –  Communications was the topic and Dave Watson (also known as “The Punisher”) of Walnut Creeks Engine 1, was the instructor.  This was an interesting night because unlike all the previous days, this evening was broken up by groups of us going to the 911 dispatch center in Pleasant Hill.  Dave had Firefighter Nick Grillo assisting him that night.  Grillo (Captain Mike Grillo’s son) accompanied us to the dispatch center while Watson stayed back and lectured/Q&A’ed with the remaining cadets.

At the 911 center, the very friendly (for some reason I expected them to be grouchy) dispatchers explained what all the bells and whistles did, and details about how dispatchers work.  I was amazed to learn that their schedule is just like the firefighters.  They’re currently working 48/96′s which basically means they’re on for 48 hours straight and off for 4 days afterwards.  Some love it, other hate it.  Either way, it’s pretty amazing.  When we were there, there were only 3 dispatchers working (and I assume there was one sleeping somewhere).  Very interesting experience.

Listening to the calls come in, you get a better understanding for why firefighters struggle with the information they’re given by dispatch.  It’s simple – dispatch is essentially relaying the information they’re given from whatever panicked Joe calls in, and often they have to relay that information super fast in order to get to the plethora of other calls that may be flooding their lines.  It’s a tough job and one I hope to become more acquainted with in the future.

Before I conclude Day 6′s wrap-up, I should do my own relay job and tell you what Firefighter Dave Watson told us about his “Punisher” nickname.  The story is a simple one, and not so focused on the nickname itself.  Apparently during the last LMC academy, Watson must have been pretty hard on the group because that night they dubbed him “The Punisher”.  The next morning Dave showed up for work at the fire station and everybody there knew all about his new nickname.  Not even 24 hours had passed and he was getting phone calls from others in the service joking with him about his new tag.

The moral of the story Watson explained goes like this…. “Telegraph, Telephone, Tell-a-firefighter”  The point here being, news travels fast; really fast!  Especially in the small world of the fire service so think before you act or speak.  He joked that firefighters are worse than high school girls when it comes to gossip and if you make a mistake, everybody will know within hours if not minutes.  Fortunately for Watson, being nicknamed “The Punisher” is pretty cool, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

Q. Who do you feel has been one of the most influential people in the fire industry within the last decade and why?

A. Retired Fire Chief Alan V. Brunacini of the Phoenix Fire Department –The PFD are on the leading edge of many new policies, procedures and modern technologies. They have a unique take on modern leadership and span of control and Alan had a lot to do with that.  Also, former State Fire Marshall, Ronnie Coleman.  He’s been doing fire service accreditation around the state and that’s making big differences in the quality of service being offered.  Agencies are reviewed using a set of criteria which verify that departments are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.  This helps raise the bar in terms of their service to the community and being accredited gives departments ammunition in the fight for funding.

Q. Who has been your biggest influence and why?

A. Alan Brunacini – He’s not enamored with tech and he’s a big proponent of safety.  He won’t let firefighters take risks over property, especially when it’s only going to be torn down a few days later anyway.  He always asks the question “What are we risking here?”  Life risks are taken only for life saves.

Q. What changes do you see (or imagine) coming to the fire service within the span of the 21st century?

A. The core mission will remain the same, but expansion in the medical field would be good.  The scope of practice for the paramedic is what it is, but bringing in more advanced techniques and a broader reach with drugs could be beneficial.  One potential change I hope doesn’t happen is the idea that more and more will be done at the Fire station itself.  Getting stitches at the ER takes forever; it might start being done at the Fire House.

I think we’ll need to prove our public value and worth through accreditation. Take our budget (which pushes $50 million dollars a year) and consider if that much money was even at fire risk over the course of the year. What is it really worth to go in, stop a fire, and save a house which is going to end up being torn down and rebuilt anyway?

Q. What do think the biggest “hole” in firefighter equipment is today?

A. We struggle in getting all people in the fire service to understand the value we need to provide to the public. We need to understand how important public value is.  The big budget and these fire engines need to “enhance” the value of living in the city in which we live. “I think the fire service believes its own press-clippings.  Also, we still kill people (firefighters) for no good reason. We need to recognize what’s worth the life risks we’re taking.

Q. In regards to fire prevention, what changes need to come, and where have we seen recent success?

A. Residential sprinkler ordinances have been a huge success.  Problem is, the building industry fights us at every turn.  Also, we need to ban wood-shake roofs.  We need to have the insurance industry come down on people who do not take proper fire prevention precautions.  I see homes all the time that are un-savable, but could easily be modified for fire prevention.

We are seeing success in hazard and weed abatement.  Between The “cedar fire” in San Diego county and the “Witch Fire” (2003 and 2007)…. they set up the reverse 911 system which did a tremendous job getting people out of the way of those fires, and ultimately saved a lot of lives.

Q. Are you familiar with any of the following emerging technologies?* (*See The Future Of Firefighting post)

A. I’m not a big fan of “technology” because I view it as a huge cash cow for businesses trying to invent the next big hit.  I find we always go “back to basics” for which they have training programs of the same name.  We are seeing certain additives to water which are allowing us to improve the effectiveness of our “basic” firefighting practices.  The more technology there is, the more room there is for it to break down.  I’m a big fan of simple & reliable.  I see more and more information systems like PASS and air status systems which help, though I still do pretty well with my clip board.

Q. Do you see the governments’ financial problems affecting the future of firefighter salaries and retirement packages?

A. I do.  It’s tough because you’re dealing with negotiated union contracts which are fairly safe.  Still, there are a lot of public entities who are reliant on the government having money to pay them.  I think we’ll see a tiered system in the future.  Something’s gotta give.

Specifically, this post will highlight four emerging technologies. One is a new version of an old idea. Two are closer to reality than we might have imagined, though still have many years of development ahead of them.. The last one (some pretty slick engines) already being used in limited practice, but may never actually see American soil.

Fit-5 Fire Extinguishing Grenade

Often times the best ideas are the simplest. A new device called the FIT-5 highlights that notion, at least in its use. Though the science behind the FIT-5 is not as simple as dousing a fire with water, its concept is just as simple. During a fire, the fire itself becomes its own sustained heat source. Water removes this piece of the fire tetrahedron (oxygen, fuel, a heat source, and a chemical chain reaction). In the case of the FIT-5, it’s the oxygen that is removed from the equation. ARA Safety who manufactures the FIT-5 says “the device can fully extinguish a class B (fuel-based) fire in a room 2,100 cubic feet (60 cubic meters) or less and reduce fire temperatures from 1,000 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (540 to 150 degrees Celsius) in less than 10 seconds. The FIT-5 is also designed to control class A (ordinary combustibles) fires enough so that firefighters can douse them with water.”

As explained by Larry Greenmier of Scientific American “the FIT-5 releases a wispy cloud of potassium carbonate, a flame retardant that suppresses combustion and disrupts fire at the molecular level.”

The FIT-5 has it’s limitations of course. While it’s a great tool, it’s not ideal for fires in wide open spaces and like traditional fire extinguishers, it won’t last that long before it runs out of extinguishing agent. Still, it has some very convincing uses including being an agent of egress when fire is blocking an exit. Also, in cases where it may not be able to extinguish a fire altogether, it can buy firefighters additional time by offering at-the-moment suppression of a flame area or by delaying flashover in cases where water may not yet be available.

Another exciting and useful technology working its way toward completion is the TRX’s Firefighter Sentinel System. This is essentially a tracking system that works like GPS, except on a much smaller basis. Rather than road maps for the country, and a dot to show where your car is, the TRX system creates maps of buildings and structures and dots showing where firefighters are. PASS devices are great tools for finding downed firefighters, but if you’re not within earshot or the building is large, it may not be enough.

FF with TRX tracking- Communications Module shown on top. Tracking Module show on bottom.

The Sentinel system works by having firefighters wear a small tracking beacon/ communication unit on their gear. A signal is sent from this unit to a base station where their exact location and movement can be tracked. If they are in a structure for which floorplans are available, directing them or finding them (if downed) is very easy. If there is no existing floorplan, the devices create one based upon the movement of firefighters throughout the structure.

In an interview with Firehouse.com, Steven T. Edwards of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute said “This represents the future of firefighter safety. You look at the firefighter fatalities throughout the country and there are trends,” he said. “(Firefighters) are disoriented; they come into an area of the building where they get away from their crew and the hose line where no one knows where they’re at… You might have a few minutes to attempt a rescue, and to have that location and direct a rescue team to that specific location is a huge step forward.”

While the Sentinel tracking system isn’t quite ready yet, it’s much closer to implementation than our next future technology. Get ready to delve into sci-fi land as we discuss Robotic Exoskeletons.

BLEEX Lower Extremity Exoskeleton

Straight out of the Terminator movies, exoskeletons are just what you’d think: “Robotic …human performance augmentation systems worn by humans to enhance mechanical strength and power.”  Among a number of well-funded private companies, the University of Berkeley Robotics Laboratory has been making significant progress is the development of exoskeletons.  They’ve already completed their first “Bleex 1″ (Berkeley lower extremity exoskeleton) and are working on the second version.

The most significant benefit of a robotic exoskeleton for firefighters would be the ability for them to climb many flights of stairs with multiple times the weight (in hose, gear or even rescues), without fatiguing.

The challenge faced in making this sort of technology realistic for fire fighting is to make the designs lightweight, efficient, reliable and of course safe. In addition they’re going to need to be affordable and have gone through extensive testing before cities would be willing to dish out the money required to buy these fantasy-like machines.

Many of these challenges are being attacked in the construction of the BLEEX 2. The focuses for improvement for this version include a lighter and quieter hybrid engine, and extended range, flexibility, and agility of the system. I believe it may be decades, or even a full century before we see exoskeletons perfected, but that at some point they will be put to use in reality. Firefighting, combat, and construction are just a few realistic places this unique technology could make history.

Learn more about Exoskeletons in this article by Scientific American.

The final future technology we’re going to consider is one that is the stuff of little boys’ dreams – yes, the big red machines. There are a number of truck and engine manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world, but one of the worlds largest is the Austrian company, Rosenbauer. Though their apparatus are seen primarily in other countries, I believe it’s likely that within the 21st century, we’ll see trucks like theirs being built by American manufacturers.

Rosenbauer Apparatus

Rosenbauer’s vehicles are more than just slick-looking futuristic machines. Advantages include compact body dimensions, decreased body weight, streamlined roll-up doors without the need for additional step-boards, premium stowage systems and tons more.

I could list multiple pages of highlights and feature, but that’s all available in their website.  In the end, the sum of their design means that firefighters will be able to get to fires faster and fight them more efficiently. Access to equipment and tools will be faster and often with less effort and risk of injury.

In conclusion, it is definitely a very exciting time to be in the fire industry.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into the future of firefighting.   Comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Los Medanos college runs a good fire academy, though there are of course the true “elite”.  Butte College is known for having possibly the best fire academy in California (though maybe it’s the best in Northern California).  One thing about Butte is that you don’t need your EMT cert to go there.  This is because they put you through their own EMT certification, not to mention an intense, rigorous, and very well respected academy.

I am quite happy to be attending LMC regardless.  Lately I’ve been told by a few people including Mr. Grillo that upon graduation of the academy, doors really begin to open.  This is the kind of thing I want to hear as it is easy to get down on the idea that the economy is in the tank and nobody is hiring.

Just two days ago I was at L.N. Curtis & Sons buying gear for the academy and I met Sharon Oliver, Training Officer for the Alameda Fire Department.  Myself and a fellow cadet spent some time talking to her and I’m quite glad we did.  She too had some very positive and motivational words for us.  She reiterated what Captain Grillo told us, that opportunities will abound after graduating from the academy and that fire departments will never stop hiring.  She went to reassure us that while there are a few layoffs taking place right now, it won’t be very long (1-3 years is the impression I got) before a good healthy hiring upswing takes place.  She highly recommended we get our paramedic license under our belts.

In the end, I feel better.  I’m excited for the academy and I’m more excited at the prospect of what may come when it’s over.