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cOMMON iNTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR fIREFIGHTERS

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Standard Questions

Situational questions

  • Tell us about yourself.

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  • Why do you want to be a firefighter? When did you decide on this career? Why do you want to leave your current job?

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  • What qualifies you for the job of firefighter? What have you done to prepare for this career?

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  • Why do you want to work for our department? What do you know about our department? Are you on any other hiring lists? What would you do if they called?

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  • What is the job of a firefighter? What does the normal day of a firefighter look like?

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  • Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

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  • What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How would your friends describe you? Coworkers?

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  • What character traits are important for a good firefighter to possess?

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  • If hired, what are you bringing to the position? 

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  • Define honesty and integrity and explain why they are important to the fire service.

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  • Tell us about a time you failed at something.

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  • ​Tell us about a time you were NOT chosen to be a leader of a group.​

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  • Give an example of a time you had to make a difficult decision.

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  • Tell us about a time you had a conflict with a coworker or boss

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  • Tell us about your personal fitness routine.

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  • Tell us about a time you volunteered for something in your community.

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  • Would you ever disobey a direct order?

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  • What do you think the future holds for the fire service?

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  • What accomplishments are you most proud of?​

  • You are on scene of a motor vehicle accident. You are assigned to extricate the victim from the vehicle. After the patient has been removed you notice one of the medics take what looks like an envelope of cash out of the passenger seat and put it in his pocket. What do you do?

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  • You are a new firefighter and are sent to a different station to cover for a sick call out. As you sit down to lunch you find that the crew has eaten the food you put in the fridge for lunch. What do you do? It becomes apparent that they did this intentionally, what do you do?

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  • As part of your probationary year, you are required to complete a new hire task book with multiple assignments, tasks, and tests. You are nearing the end of your probation and you have not gotten much help from your officer. He has not brought up your task book and it does not appear to be a priority of his. You are required to finish this book to complete probation and keep your job. What do you do?

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  • You are in academy and have failed your ladder evolution. Successful completion of this evolution is mandatory for graduation from the academy. How do you handle this?

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  • You come into work and find an empty bottle of whiskey on the desk of one of your fellow firefighters. What do you do?

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  • You are in fire academy and one of your peers has repeatedly failed their ropes and knots evaluation. This person has failed multiple different skills in the past and it is becoming apparent that they will not make a good firefighter. What do you do?

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  • You are on scene of a structure fire.  Your Captain tells you to set up for RIT, as you are gathering your equipment the Battalion Chief stops you and orders you to take a hose line to the opposite side of the building.  What do you do?

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  • You are at work doing your daily checks.  Your medic unit won't start,  what do you do?

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