Seattle Fire Department [Archive] - Firehouse Forums

KyleWilson

12-05-2007, 11:42 PM

I like their testing format. They sit everyone down in a one of the UW classroom that holds a couple thousand people. Then they pass out a booklet, say you have this much time to memorize everything in this booklet. Then they take the booklet away and test you on what you just studied. Pretty straight forward.

This will be my first time taking Seattle's test, I'm looking forward to it but just not used to this.... oh well.

powerhourcoug

12-05-2007, 11:44 PM

If SFD's test is "weird", then I don't ever want to take a "normal" test again. Its a great setup - all the answers are given to you before the test. All you have to do is try to stay awake for the 2.5 hours prior!

KyleWilson

12-05-2007, 11:57 PM

Hey powerhourcoug have you taking the SFD test before?

powerhourcoug

12-06-2007, 01:16 AM

Yes I have.

flipper123

12-06-2007, 10:45 AM

I think SFD does this to ensure everyone sitting for the test is given the same opportunity to study the material.
No one can claim they were too poor to buy study material, or had to work too much to study, or were under-priviledged and lived under an overpass and couldn't study.
Kinda tries to stop some of the lawsuits before they happen.

sbfd48

12-06-2007, 11:12 PM

For those that have taken the test before, what are the various parts of the test. Are there any memorization of scenes and parts like that? Or is the test solely based on the information provided to study before the exam?

trotsky

12-20-2007, 05:55 PM

went to a practice session yesterday. Test is straight forward. I prefer this to the one I took for my local FD back in Oct.

Brush up on your math and get a good nights sleep so you can focus for a few hours without dozing off and you'll have it nailed.

elswappo

12-20-2007, 06:25 PM

Everything they test you on comes directly out of the study booklet that you study for two and a half hours.

powerhourcoug

12-20-2007, 07:00 PM

In case some of you don't know, all you have to do to make it to oral boards with SFD is PASS (typically around 80%).

If you walk out of the test stresssing because you didn't think you got an outrageously good score, fret not.

They literally take everyone and their mom to oral boards (last year it was something like 1500 of 1600 test takers).

jcgafford

12-20-2007, 07:53 PM

I have taken a test like this before. The first page is usually a map of a fake city, the second page is information about different quadrents of that city. Such as the northern part of the city is known for chemical manufacturing and older balloon construction housing, this part of the city has the most residential fires. After info on the rest of the city it gives you a breakdown of businesses, such as in the north sparky's chemical is the major business and they have had one major spill during 1985 and four people died. You get x amount of time to memorize this and ther regurgitate the info for the test.

trotsky

12-20-2007, 08:17 PM

They literally take everyone and their mom to oral boards (last year it was something like 1500 of 1600 test takers).

They even offer practice oral boards to teach you how to sell yourself. That's what the captain said yesterday.

Considering how competitive this job is, they are very helpful. Makes me want to work with this department even more.

aneff3904

12-21-2007, 02:37 AM

The year before last made it to the second interview, me and 856 other soles from the orginal 2600 test takers. You will befine to pay attetion to detail and fresh up on math. The first oral boards is taped there is a proctor that reads out loud while you read to yourself and speak slow and clear into the recorder. The second round will be with fire department members (Captains and LT's) and will ask 7 questions. If you have to travel I hope you have a good thick bank account because you get about a week to two week notice of the interview dates and you will make about 6 trips out there total. I just made it to the second oral boards and already had three trips out there. Good luck to all if I can be of any other help let me know.

MikeyD1

12-22-2007, 02:59 PM

Aneff,

I believe the first round orals are no longer taped. They did away with that as of the last testing process. Now it is just 2 rounds of in person interviews. I went and looked at the website and it seemed to still indicate the same process.

Hope this helps - good luck in the process.

tommygavin

12-23-2007, 08:03 PM

6 trips out there? thats rediculous

trotsky

12-23-2007, 08:22 PM

not if you want it bad enough:)

tommygavin

12-23-2007, 09:04 PM

i better start looking into banks to rob

20fire07

12-27-2007, 01:07 AM

How often do they offer the test? For some reason I cannot got on thier website. Are they a Civil Service Dept?

powerhourcoug

12-28-2007, 12:34 PM

Seattle conducts a test every year, typically in January.

Thanks -

PHC

sbfd48

12-29-2007, 12:44 PM

Does anyone know when we are supposed to receive our testing cards in the mail?

KyleWilson

01-01-2008, 05:39 PM

Has anyone received their testing dates and etc? Does anyone know when it is?

trotsky

01-01-2008, 10:51 PM

Has anyone received their testing dates and etc? Does anyone know when it is?
I haven;t heard from them yet, but according to their website (http://www.seattle.gov/personnel/employment/exams.asp) the test is on Jan 26

trotsky

01-05-2008, 10:21 PM

Got my letter today.

Testing is Jan 26 (time slots allocated by letter)
Oral board 1 end of Feb - beginning of March
Oral board 2 late April - early May
Notice of ranking on "eligibility list" around the beginning of June.

Good luck

sbfd48

01-28-2008, 04:35 PM

Thought the test went pretty well, what did everyone else think?

trotsky

01-28-2008, 04:47 PM

I thought it went great... I like the format of the pre-study session. I bet I could still draw some of those maps if I had to :)

they had it all organized really well. Do you remember what the dates were for the interviews etc? End of Feb, beginning of March I think but can't remember the specific dates.

sbfd48

01-28-2008, 07:19 PM

think you are right. supposed to receive results by first week of feb, so i imagine oral boards at the end of feb beginning of march.

Fatkid4

01-28-2008, 09:07 PM

We'll get test results 2/9. Oral board starts 2/28, I believe.

I thought the test was great. It is designed to measure the ability to learn and not offer any advantages to those with current FF knowledge.

Their priority is to hire the best person for the job, not the person that has been studying the longest. They seem very confident that they are capable of training the right person through their academy.

I have met plenty of guys that have their FF1, FF2 and are paramedics, but would not be my first pick to back me up in a fire.

I have a feeling that the most important attributes for a good FF can't be taught. You either have it or you don't. I don't think things like courage, integrity, and a true devotion to the community and the team are learned in school.

Seattle seems to have a great fire department.

GoCougs

01-29-2008, 02:20 AM

I thought the test went really well for me. I felt a lot more comfortable this go around then I did last year. I was talking to somebody before the test and they said that their friend just got hired by Seattle FD and had to go through 8 interviews before getting the offer.

trotsky

01-29-2008, 06:36 AM

Wow...8 interviews? I guess there's no way you can say they aren't thorough :)

This was only the second ever test for me and I liked the format...friendly people too. Hope I make it to the next step...it's all a learning process for me.

Fatkid4

01-29-2008, 02:20 PM

8 interviews.... Was there a different panel each time? Did the format change with each interview and did the panel ask similar questions at each interview?

I agree Trotsky, they are thorough and that's a great thing. I'm glad we live within driving range. 8 flights could really break someone.

Are any of you Oregon folks in the Portland area?

GoCougs

01-29-2008, 04:34 PM

I dont know if they changed panels each time. Im in Portland

nwfire17

01-29-2008, 09:19 PM

It should be a different panel for each interview you go through. Eight interviews? Ha! I don't think there'd be quite as many applying if that were the case!
If they follow the same procedures as last year, there will be three interviews (plus a physical agility, and suitability testing) before they give someone a conditional offer.

trotsky

01-30-2008, 02:42 AM

yup...Portland area.

Did any of you guys see the pile up on I-5 north on Saturday? Black ice near the bridge at La Center. Cars spinning all over the place.

Fatkid4

01-30-2008, 02:31 PM

I'm also from Portland, and I was lucky enough to miss the I5 pile up.

Waiting for the exam results is killing me.

Is it true that even though our score is high enough to be invited to an oral, our specific score is still very important since it will be added to our oral scores to calculate where we fall on the eligability list?

Or is the exam simply pass/fail, and our rank on the eligable list will be based only on our oral scores.

I have a feeling that every point counts from the exam, but I have heard the folks running things mention pass/fail.

It might be cool if us Portland folks get together after we get our test results. The one with the best score buys the first round.

GoCougs

01-30-2008, 05:03 PM

Where was that at? When I was driving home from seattle saturday night everything was clear (northbound) on the way down

trotsky

01-30-2008, 05:41 PM

It was on the metal bridge in the Northbound lane of I-5 near the NW Paradise State park. There were cars pulled over on both sides and when I went through there were still cars spinning out.

I didn't stop since there were still cars sliding out and I didn't want to be part of the problem. Called 911 from my cell, but they said they already had people on the way. As I headed a little further north I saw Woodland Fire and a couple of AMR units heading south code 3.

Just trying to find out how bad it was. No sign of anything when I was heading south again, but that was almost 12 hours later.

sbfd48

02-05-2008, 04:00 PM

Anybody receive their scores? Did they say it was pass/fail or do they record your actual score for list placement?

GoCougs

02-05-2008, 05:18 PM

I have not recieved my scores yet. I believe that it is pass/fail but that your score will help out in the end. I could be wrong though

trotsky

02-05-2008, 05:25 PM

I heard them say we should hear something by Feb 9 and if we haven't heard something by then, we need to get in touch with them by Feb 11.

So if you haven't heard anything by Friday you should be on the phone first thing Monday morning.

I agree with Coug...pass/fail for the test, but it will help you out on the ranking when it gets to that stage.

powerhourcoug

02-05-2008, 07:08 PM

Unless they have changed this year, your written score does NOT help you in making the final register. Final scores are created by obtaining the average of your two oral boards (so, it really IS all about the oral board).

The written test is scored only to use as a barometer to create the "pass/fail" mark. If you pass, that is all that matters.

Good luck -

PHC

Fatkid4

02-07-2008, 03:13 PM

We just got our mail and still no word about the oral board. It's Thursday now and I am planning to attent the oral prep class that they offer tomorrow. I think I did great on the exam, but I would still like confirmation before driving back up to Seattle to prepare for the oral board.

Anyone else from the Portland area planning to head up tomorrow for the class? Let me know and we can carpool.

trotsky

02-07-2008, 05:02 PM

I think it would be a good idea to go up even if you didn't get through the written. The more help you get the better your chances will be when Portland start their process in July. Especially since the oral is where all the points are scored.

Just my 2 cents.

I'll probably head up some time next week though since I have a full load this this weekend.

trotsky

02-08-2008, 12:25 PM

ffbam24

02-08-2008, 01:33 PM

The way SFD has been running it lately has been that if you passed the written with a 70% or higher, you would get to go to the orals.
This gives the "poorer test takers" an opportunity to do well in an oral if that happens to be their strong point.
Go to the prep classes if you can.

Trotsky, bad luck, but still go to these if you can.

Fatkid4

02-08-2008, 01:42 PM

Don't count yourself out yet Trotsky. Keep your good ankle strong, stretch your legs, and do your best to keep the blood circulating through the broken ankle. With support, you'll be running again in 8 weeks. I believe the CPAT comes after the second oral, which is sometime in March. I'll bet we won't have an opportunity for the CPAT until May or June.

Keep working to make the rest of your body stronger and DON'T gain wieght. If you have any extra fat then loose it. Take your vitamins, think positive, and don't let your ankle be an excuse to give up, use your ankle as an excuse to work harder. You'll be up and running in no time. Once you're hired you'll have a cool story.

ffbam24

02-08-2008, 02:04 PM

Weight advice from the "Fatkid". :D
Too ironic!

powerhourcoug

02-08-2008, 02:46 PM

Still no letter, but I may be out of the process anyway. I broke my ankle yesterday. Not sure when the CPAT is being scheduled, but I have at least 6 weeks on crutches.

Ironically I did it while out jogging :mad:

You have PLENTY of time to recover. CPAT isn't until late summer/early fall. SFD ONLY offers CPAT to those who pass both oral boards high enough to be placed on the certified list.

Good luck -

PHC

trotsky

02-08-2008, 06:38 PM

Well all this certainly made my day a little better.

Thanks for the input guys (and girls?). I was secretly hoping that the process wouldn't go forward til the summer...now I am a little happier when hobbling around the house :)

trotsky

02-09-2008, 09:27 PM

From the Seattle FD website...

2008 Candidate Information
Updated February 8, 2008

This information is specifically for candidates who participated in the written exam held on January 26, 2008.

Written Exam Results
Letters containing your written exam results were mailed to your home address on February 7-8, 2008 (letters to out-of-state candidates were mailed on February 7).

For candidates who passed the exam, the letters will contain your oral board scheduling information. Please allow time for the letter to arrive via US Mail before contacting this office.

If you do not receive this letter by February 12th, you should email Colleen.Lafferty@seattle.gov or call (206) 615-0581 to request the exam scheduling information. Oral board exams will be held only on the following days:

* February 29
* March 1
* March 3-8
* March 10-11

Fatkid4

02-10-2008, 07:12 PM

I went to the oral board prep class yesterday and they said there was a little delay in getting the exam results sent. Like 1500 out of 1600 will be invited to the first oral, so don't be too flattered. I can't believe how many people they're willing to interview. 800 will be placed on the registered list. Then, the top 25% will move forward ( aprox. 200 people).

Keep in mind, last year a guy was given a conditional offer and hurt his knee right before drill class was to start. He got clipped. The captian said you will not be hired if you show up hurt. You must be able to complete their academy. He suggested staying away from dangerous sports.

ffbam24

02-10-2008, 07:45 PM

Let me say this again.The way SFD has been running it lately has been that if you passed the written with a 70% or higher, you would get to go to the orals.
This gives the "poorer test takers" an opportunity to do well in an oral if that happens to be their strong point.That's why there'll be about two weeks of oral boards to get 1500 people through.

GoCougs

02-12-2008, 01:35 AM

Well I got my letter today. I passed with a 86.89%. I guess that I am one of those 1500 people

elswappo

02-12-2008, 03:19 AM

Got mine today too. Scored 92.62, to bad it doesn't count. Good luck to all you guys at the oral boards.

trotsky

02-12-2008, 01:11 PM

I got mine while I was up at the oral board orientation. Lots of good information at the orientation, icing on the cake was the text message I got from my wife letting me know I passed.

Fatkid4

02-12-2008, 03:25 PM

I gotta 97.54. Time to focus on the oral.

I discovered/confirmed the other day that I am a minority, based on the Feds definition. My mom passed when I was young and I was never sure. Since I had marked caucasian on my exam I explained the situation to the caption at the oral prep. He said it has no bearing on their hiring practices. I thought being a minority may put me on a shorter list, but it doesn't.

As a husband and father of 2 small kids, I was happy to know that. Although I was excited to think my odds of getting hired may improve, it's a relief to know those that get hired will be hired based on qualifications. I think our communities deserve the best of the best for protection. It can mean life or death!

I give a lot of credit to the Seattle Fire Department's hiring practices. Great support and equal opportunity for all.

sbfd48

02-12-2008, 04:50 PM

Congrats to everyone...passed with a 95.8%. Can anybody shed some light on what went on during the oral board prep class?

Fatkid4

02-12-2008, 05:30 PM

We were there for just over an hour. Much of the time was spent on answering general questions that people had. The Captian suggested that people get into shape for drill school. He was clear that if you are physically worried about the CPAT you will never survive drill school.

The oral boards will be timed, so we should prepare our answers to be 2 to 3 minutes in length. We will have a printed copy of the questions, and it will be important that we thoroughly answer the questions and show that we really get it. Just answering the question will give you a low range score, ellabotating will get you mid range and a thorough, clear and well organized correct answer will get a high level score.

For example: What experience do you have that may contribute to your ability to be a ff.
Answer: I'm a bagger at a grocery store. (Low score)
Answer: I'm a bagger at a grocery store were I have developed team working skills, customer service skills, and a strong work ethic. (Mid-range score)
Answer: I'm a bagger at a grocery store were I have developed team working skills, customer service skills, and a strong work ethic. For example I was known for running to the parking lot to help people carry bags and also say hello to every person I see. (high range score)

Then there was a lot of the standard stuff like wear a suite, don't fidget, and don't say "uh" before each reply. It's time to sell yourself.

trotsky

02-12-2008, 06:45 PM

...and probably the most important thing...DON'T BE LATE.

bighaole

02-13-2008, 02:38 PM

will the printed copy will be given to us the day of our orals?

trotsky

02-13-2008, 03:39 PM

it'll be taped to the table in front of you so you can read them as they ask the questions. You won't get your own copy

sbfd48

02-26-2008, 05:32 PM

When does everyone take their oral board, mine is March 8th

trotsky

02-26-2008, 05:56 PM

When does everyone take their oral board, mine is March 8th

Same here. Good luck.

GoCougs

02-26-2008, 11:13 PM

I got mine on the 10th

Fatkid4

02-28-2008, 04:05 PM

Mine is on Monday the 3rd! I guess I won't be getting any advice from you guys since I'm 1st.

nwfire17

02-28-2008, 04:37 PM

You and me both, I'll be up there on the 3rd as well.

GoCougs

02-28-2008, 06:09 PM

Guess not, but we will hopefully get advice from you

whalenjacobsda

02-29-2008, 01:48 PM

I have mine today...wish me luck.

GoCougs

02-29-2008, 11:46 PM

How did the interview go?

whalenjacobsda

03-03-2008, 10:52 PM

My interview went ok. I think. I could've done better on the first couple of questions, but once I was "warmed up" I think I did pretty well. It almost seems that as much as you practice, its still a bit nerve-racking...but hey, it can't hurt. Good luck everybody!

cfish3321

03-04-2008, 04:27 AM

so if it is at all possible to inform me. what is the basis of the questions they ask...im in the dark on what to expect

trotsky

03-04-2008, 11:32 AM

I'm sure you did fine Whalen. I am sure they expect nerves...hard not be nervous when there is a 25+ year career on the line. I have been practicing for a while and I know I will still be nervous too.

Fatkid4

03-04-2008, 03:19 PM

I had my interview yesterday, and I feel good about it. I liked the format and the FF's made me feel comfortable.

I was there 3 hours early and watched a lot of guys coming and going from their interviews. It must not be easy to organize 1500 interviews, but things seemed to go smooth.

Good luck guys!

peterbound

03-06-2008, 11:08 AM

can anyone give me heads up as to what kind of questions were asked.. or how many.. we wanted to set up a mock board here and just wanted to have it go in the right direction.. any help would be really appreciated.
-pete

nwfire17

03-06-2008, 12:30 PM

Sorry Pete. No one is allowed to discuss their interview until all of the interviews are finished. They do a really good job of trying to keep the interviews fair.

Do your mock oral board, prep for a fire service interview, just like you would for any other department. As long as you're studying and preparing, you're going in the right direction.

Good luck!

ffbam24

03-06-2008, 07:16 PM

Here's a copy of a PM I received this morning.

Mopease

Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 0 SFD help!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey bro going into the interview without knowing the questions is bs. I will send you $100 if you tell me what the interview questions were during your interview. I can do this via paypal, western union or money order. Its up to you. I understand if you dont want to fill me in.

Let me know
THanks a mill bro.

peterbound

03-06-2008, 07:25 PM

well.. that wasn't me.. i can say that for sure.
I appreciate the security of the board.. and wouldn't want to comprimise it.
We will set up a Mock Board and drop some regular inteview questions.
thanks for the help
-pete

nwfire17

03-06-2008, 07:39 PM

I got the exact same PM.

trotsky

03-06-2008, 07:47 PM

:eek:

I hope you gave him all the answers, because someone with this much integrity is exactly the type of person you want taking your job. :rolleyes:

ffbam24

03-06-2008, 08:17 PM

1. Who is your daddy and what does he do?
:rolleyes: :D

Oh wait. I didn't test with Seattle.

Fatkid4

03-06-2008, 08:59 PM

I got the same pm also. What a joke!

cfish3321

03-06-2008, 10:22 PM

i have my interview on monday..so hopefully all goes smoothly

finfanfromWA

03-08-2008, 04:35 PM

[QUOTE=ffbam24;928603]1. Who is your daddy and what does he do?
:rolleyes: :D
QUOTE]

Brilliant.

But seriously, how can someone try to cheat like that. I hope nobody responded or gave him real questions. I tested on Wednesday and didn't think the questions were unexpected.

trotsky

03-31-2008, 01:23 AM

Got my letter yesterday. My next interview is in May.

Sweet:D

Fatkid4

03-31-2008, 01:11 PM

I got my letter on Saturday and my interview is on 5/1.

It looks like they are really spreading this round on interviews out. Trotsky, are you sure yours is in June? By the way, hows the leg?

trotsky

03-31-2008, 01:26 PM

Trotsky, are you sure yours is in June? By the way, hows the leg?

Oops...thanks for the catch. The eligibility list is in June.

Leg is much better. Still not able to run on it yet according to the physio, but I can start the stationary bike so I am mixing that into my work out now.

GoCougs

03-31-2008, 02:48 PM

I got my letter the other day. My interview is on 4/26. I thought that I did really bad on that first interview. I was so happy to see that I passed

ericj237

04-01-2008, 12:49 AM

Anyone have an idea as to what we can expect on the 2nd round? 15 minutes of questions. And any idea as to how many took the first oral and now the second?

GoCougs

04-01-2008, 01:18 AM

I remember them saying that 1400 took the first interview and they were going to invite back 1000 for the second. And I believe that they are going to pass 800 people from this round

whalenjacobsda

04-01-2008, 01:33 AM

I got my letter on Saturday...onto round 2 on April 30th!

aarontodd

04-27-2008, 10:34 PM

how did everyone do on the second round? I think mine went pretty smooth.

trotsky

04-27-2008, 10:36 PM

Mine is Friday...have been prepping since I got the letter. Still a bag of nerves though

GoCougs

04-28-2008, 01:22 AM

I had mine yesterday. I felt better then I did after the first one, but Im pretty sure that I nailed more then half of the questions. I can't wait to hear the news to see if I passed or not. Best of luck to everybody and remember take a deep breath and try your best to relax

Fatkid4

04-28-2008, 01:18 PM

My interview is on Thursday.

Since the time has been reduced to 15 minutes, how many question did they ask?

Was the room arranged the same? Was it a panel of only firefighters or did they include an HR person?

Because the process is so competitive, I don't expect the answer to these questions, but I thought I'd ask anyways.

Best of luck folks!

Fatkid4

04-28-2008, 01:27 PM

What's up Trotsky? How's the leg?

trotsky

04-28-2008, 01:31 PM

What's up Trotsky? How's the leg?

Still aches a bit. The physio says I am still not allowed to run yet...so I am just riding the crap out of my bike to get the cardio back again.

nvisabull

04-29-2008, 08:07 PM

Hey guys,
Is it just me or is it a bit unethical to ask questions about the process? I mean, if we are all in the 2nd round, then we ALL know better than to ask questions about what's going on in that room. Lets keep the integrity of the process.
Fatkid, don't you remember signing a form saying you will not give any info regarding the interview? Not trying to be a typical 'girl' or anything, but really, follow the rules and respect the process. You'll get your turn.

erieff

05-02-2008, 01:45 AM

trotsky

05-03-2008, 03:00 PM

Not sure how I feel about mine. I felt like I had good answers, but I definitely fumbled a little on the delivery. Guess I will find out soon enough.

Good luck to the rest of you.

Fatkid4

05-03-2008, 11:01 PM

Hey invisabull, the questions I asked regarded info that was given prior to signing anything. I believe it's info that the HR would give if I asked at any time. Did you go to the orientation for the first interview? The captian answered all the same questions well prior to the interviews. You ARE kinda being a "girl".

I don't mean to be rough, but I don't appriciate you questioning my integrity without merit.

ffbam24

05-04-2008, 02:12 AM

Fatkid4

05-04-2008, 01:08 PM

My wife just crushed me for saying nvisabull is acting like a 'girl'. She straightened me out by reminding me that even my 6 year old daughter would not act that way. Sorry girls! I made a stupid referrance in response to his email.

nvisabull

05-08-2008, 01:36 PM

Im with nvisabull,besides I would not be suprised if a member of Seattle fire is a meber here and last time I checked fire depts arent looking to hire people who appear to be dishonest.Its just my two cents take it for what its worth. Good luck To all

Yeah....It's good to be descreet. Particularly when you have no idea who might be paying attention to message boards. Remember oral orientation? They have ways of finding things out.

Good call on that one erieff.

nvisabull

05-08-2008, 02:08 PM

Fatkid4

05-09-2008, 12:37 PM

Fatkid,
I am not questioning your integrity, and I do apologize if you feel that I have. It is unfortunate that you had to take it to the gender level. Even though I refered to myself as a "typical girl" that does not give you the right to refer to me that way. How would it have seemed if "typical girl" was replaced by "hispanic" or "Asian" or Black" or "gay" or "lesbian" or fill in the blank.....

Good for you wife for catching that. If you wanted to critique my comment. Fine, please do. But don't use my gender. Chauvinism doesn't work well in Seattle firehouses.

nvisabull, I don't know what your gender is, so how did I use it? My comment referenced your discription of your own behavior as acting like a "typical girl". I never considered your gender in our conversation.

I have already apologized for agreeing with you that your behavior is like a "typical girl", because stereo typing is wrong.

And regarding the Seattle Fire Department, I have great respect for them and their hiring process. If I felt my questions should be asked with discretion then I would have never asked them. I feel my questions fall in the same catagory as driving directions or how people were dressed. I was not trying to get an unfair advantage nor did I get one. Isn't that what's important.

I am truly confused nvisabull. You refer to your behavior as acting like a "typical girl", I agree and you call me a chauvinist. I publicly asked general questions that had zero influence on my preperation and give me no advantages, but you question my respect for the process. The questions I aksed were all answered prior to the first interview by the Seattle Fire Department, so I wanted to confirm things would be the same. I used this board as a convenient resource for that info rather than calling the SFD.

I like to think of this board as a group of people that are supporting each other in the persuit of a similar goal. Kind of like a team working together to be prepared for the big game. What I did was ask about the field and the stadium. I didn't try to steal the other teams playbook.

nvisabull

05-11-2008, 08:35 PM

Hey fatkid,
Just an FYI, this is from the SFD webpage:

"Applicant Questions

It is strongly advised that applicants with questions about becoming a Seattle Firefighter seek information from the appropriate experts so that they obtain accurate and complete information. Applicants often have friends and other contacts in the City of Seattle, however, these individuals may not have the most up-to-date information and may not be able to provide essential information.

Questions regarding the application process, exams, test dates, or other related information should be directed to the Fire Exams Unit at (206) 386-1303.

Questions regarding the pre-employment process, qualifications, or post-employment information should be directed to the Recruitment Office at (206) 386-1472 or sfd.recruitment@seattle.gov."

Fatkid4

05-13-2008, 12:08 PM

Thanks nvisabull, that's great advice, but just a bit late.

No harm done though.

I can't wait to hear about the results in june.

Good luck to all!

trotsky

05-13-2008, 12:23 PM

How do you think you did fatkid?

mitllesmertz1

05-14-2008, 01:09 AM

Hey fatkid,
Just an FYI, this is from the SFD webpage:

"Applicant Questions

It is strongly advised that applicants with questions about becoming a Seattle Firefighter seek information from the appropriate experts so that they obtain accurate and complete information. Applicants often have friends and other contacts in the City of Seattle, however, these individuals may not have the most up-to-date information and may not be able to provide essential information.."

So why are there a couple hundred pages in the Hiring section asking about the different hiring processes?
People share tips and insights into different city's processes here daily.
There is nothing wrong with what Fatkid was asking.
And SFD stations are as prejudiced/chauvinist as any other stations in the country.
Maybe a little more tolerant than the norm, but it's still the fire service.

Fatkid4

05-14-2008, 11:42 AM

Hey Trotsky,

It's hard to say. There were times when the panel was not writing anything down and I felt it meant I was on the wrong track. I feel they were looking for very specific words/statements, and since I'm outside the box, regarding experience, I may have missed the mark a few times.

One thing I know is that many canidates did not utilize the time. I was given my 3 minute warning with 2 questions left, so I really had to pound out my answers. I feel good knowing I utilized the full limit of time.

I am telling myself not to expect to make it this time. This is my first opportunity to interview for this career and its extremely competitive, so making it the first attempt is an unrealistic expectation.

Although I'm playing to win, I won't be discouraged to fail. I will learn, improve and continue the persuit. Remember, it's not how many times we fall, but how many times we get up that counts.

I will be a firefighter!

By the way Trotsky, are you able to put any weight on the ankle. Either way, keep your core strength up and keep riding the bike and you will be successful.

trotsky

05-14-2008, 12:19 PM

It's hard to say. There were times when the panel was not writing anything down and I felt it meant I was on the wrong track...

By the way Trotsky, are you able to put any weight on the ankle. Either way, keep your core strength up and keep riding the bike and you will be successful.

Sounds about the same as mine.

Ankle still hurts a little...not allowed to run until physiotherapist gives me the all clear. So the bike is getting a lot more use...especially now that the rain has let up for a few days.

trotsky

05-21-2008, 02:33 PM

From the Seattle FD Website...

2008 Candidate Information
Updated May 21, 2008

This information is specifically for candidates who participated in the Oral Board interviews held April 26 - May 2, 2008.

Oral Board #2 Results: Results from the Oral Board #2 exam are being mailed out this week (between May 19-21) and will be sent to each Candidate's mailing address via U.S. Mail. If you do not receive your results letter by May 28, 2008, you should email Colleen.Lafferty@seattle.gov or call 206-615-0581.

For Candidates who passed the exam, the letters will contain contain your scores, as well as your ranking on the Firefighter Register (the Register is the list of those candidates who have passed the written exam and both oral boards). The names and addresses of those candidates who are in the top 25% of the Register will be sent to the Seattle Fire Department. Candidates who do not place in the top 25% of the Register will remain on the Register, which will be in effect for a minimum of one year.

More information at the candidate info page (http://www.seattle.gov/fire/employment/ffjob_candidateinfo.htm)

Good luck to you all.

finfanfromWA

05-22-2008, 02:21 PM

sorry this double posted

finfanfromWA

05-22-2008, 04:36 PM

sorry double posted.

finfanfromWA

05-22-2008, 04:41 PM

Does anyone have any info on the EMT classes that SFD puts on? How are they run? How are you eligible?

I just got my letter in the mail today and they said that I am in the 50's out of over 600 successful candidates.

THanks

Rob

trotsky

05-22-2008, 05:06 PM

congrats Rob. not sure about the EMT thing. I only know the information from the website regarding reciprocity from Oregon. Might be worth shooting an email to Colleen Lafferty. I am sure she will be able to point you in the right direction.

Haven;t gotten my letter yet, but our mail always arrives later in the day. I am sure my wife will call me the second it arrives. :)

Congrats again.

finfanfromWA

05-22-2008, 07:46 PM

[QUOTE=trotsky;954716] Might be worth shooting an email to Colleen Lafferty. I am sure she will be able to point you in the right direction.

QUOTE]

Yeah but she is probably really busy, I'll call her in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the congrats.

Fatkid4

05-23-2008, 04:24 PM

Great job Rob!!

I just got my letter and didn't make the cut. My first oral was weak.

I'm suprised about how personally crushing this is. At this point, I'm telling myself that not making it is good news, because it would have been hard to move to Seattle due to my wife and kids.

So now I'm off to pursue my local departments.

Good luck to all of you!

trotsky

05-23-2008, 05:12 PM

I just got my letter and didn't make the cut...I'm suprised about how personally crushing this is.

Don't beat yourself up too much Fatkid. This was your first time through wasn't it? Take it in your stride, learn from it and use it to improve your next interview.

Still haven't received my letter yet, but odds are against me making it all the way through first time round so I am preparing myself for the local departments too.

Fatkid4

05-23-2008, 05:50 PM

Thanks brother! You're right, it's my first time.

My second interview was much better than my first, so I know I've learned a lot. The SFD process is great experience for future opportunities.

I've been coming up with all kinds of stuff to help me feel better, but it still stinks.

Good luck Trotsky!!

trotsky

05-23-2008, 07:19 PM

just got the mail... made the top 50%, but that's not enough to make the cut... I too did better in my second interview although I thought my first was the best...strange how that works. Now I know where I am scoring I know I have some work to do before the Portland test.

Best of luck to all those who made the cut. Would love to hear updates onthe rest of the process and the academy.

finfanfromWA

05-24-2008, 03:26 AM

sorry to hear that fatkid and trosky.

I don't think I would have done as good if I didn't have my veteran's preference points. That gave me over 8 extra points.

I actually did better on my first one then I did on the second one, but I thought I smoked the second one.

I actually took my CPAT today as well (not for Seattle, but for other agencies) and I passed.

I wish you all the best of luck in the future, and I hope you all wish me the best of luck as well.

Rob

Fatkid4

05-27-2008, 02:09 PM

Hey Rob, good luck brother!!!!

Good job on the CPAT.

I've got one on the 29th of this month for Public Safety Testing and the 14th of next month for a volunteer position for my local Dept.

dwoods87

05-27-2008, 02:18 PM

hey finfan if you dont mind me asking what were your percentages that got you in the top 50? I barely passed the first with a 67 percent and i dominated the second with a 99 percent. which put me in the 310's range
good luck with the rest of the process.

finfanfromWA

05-27-2008, 04:57 PM

dwoods-

You got a 99 on your second oral board!? That is amazing, what tools did you use? I didn't even think that that was possible. I definately need to study with you next time.

PM me and I will tell you my scores, I just don't want to share them on the open forum. I will say that veteran's preference helped me out big time!

finfanfromWA

05-27-2008, 05:01 PM

I've got one on the 29th of this month for Public Safety Testing and the 14th of next month for a volunteer position for my local Dept.

Don't worry about the CPAT. I did one practice one and then the real one at it really wasn't that difficult. I didn't do any extra training for it. The most nerve racking part for my CPAT was that as I was doing it there were a lot of people watching me, and I think some other firefighters were there (I'm also testing for Renton and others).

I went to Youtube and found a video called big bill's CPAT (or something like that). He did it in under 7 minutes. I watched his video for little tricks for the individual events.

Any good luck and have fun,

Rob

dwoods87

05-27-2008, 05:19 PM

how do you send a pm??

trotsky

05-27-2008, 05:22 PM

how do you send a pm??

Click on the user name in the top left hand corner of the message. Select the profile option and there is a link in there to send a message to someone.

BearTech

05-28-2008, 03:06 AM

Well, don't know if they've notified the people who thought they were going to a September class, but I just heard that they have cancelled the September class due to budget concerns. Sounds like they are going to extend all of the people they just chose this go-around to next January's class. So they won't even start processing THIS years test till after that.

chawk12

05-28-2008, 03:39 PM

I am new to the forum. Does anyone know where we can find info on how many recruits Seattle Fire Dept have chosen for the next recruit class for 2008? I saw that only 14 of the original 24 from the first class graduated from the 13 academy. Any info would be apprciciated.

chawk12

05-28-2008, 04:06 PM

I am new to the forum and like you, I am also moving on. I'd love to have someone to communicate with that is going through the same process.

finfanfromWA

05-28-2008, 09:16 PM

madeitin

05-29-2008, 01:11 AM

This doesn't help with your concerns, but when I was up at North Bend for annual training with my department I saw the last Seattle class. They looked very sharp and their was only about a dozen of them. Anyways it is a great department and keep your heads up, you will be at North Bend soon enough....

chawk12

05-30-2008, 12:05 AM

Please note that due to a postponement in the hiring process, candidates on the recently established Firefighter Register will not hear from us regarding pre-employment processing until early 2009. Be sure to forward any address changes to the Fire Department Recruitment email account

Call the Recruitment Hotline at (206) 386-9078 for updates on the current pre-employment hiring process.

finfanfromWA

05-31-2008, 03:53 AM

I guess all of the rumors are true. I received this email that pretty much says word for word what Chawk was saying.

Now Is this good news or bad news really. What it means to me was that those high on the eligibility roster will probably be accepted into other Fire Departments (if they scored well on this one they will probably score well on others as well). So people lower on the roster will have a much better chance.

On the other hand the 2009 class looks to be very small.

Dear Rob,

August's class has been postponed, not canceled. We currently do not have a date for when that class will begin, but we are anticipating hiring a second class from this current hiring register to start in February 2009. The 2007 register will expire when this second class begins. The following recruit class will be drawn from the recently established Firefighter Register.

Please note that due to this postponement in the hiring process for the 2007 register, candidates on the recently established Firefighter Register will not hear from us regarding pre-employment processing until early 2009.

As the commencement of a recruit class depends on Firefighter position vacancies and our budget, we cannot predict when a recruit class from your register will begin. We are constantly reviewing these variables to prepare for a full class. Please stay tuned to our website and/or our recruitment hotline for updates at (206) 386-9078.

Sincerely,

Recruiting Office
Seattle Fire Department
301 - 2nd Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
www.seattlefirejobs.com

chawk12

05-31-2008, 10:59 PM

So does this mean the 2008 register will likely only be used for one recruit class? Or will the 2008 register stay active a year from January 2009 when we all start our pre-employment process? I'm also wondering if they had to pospone the recruit class due to budget concerns that they might have to have a large class in August 2009 to compentsate the posponement of the Aug. 2008 class.

CFDRes

06-01-2008, 02:53 AM

Hang in there guys. I'm on both the 2007 list and the new 2008 register and it feels like i've been in this process forever. Remember it will all be worth the day that offer comes in the mail. . .

chawk12

06-02-2008, 05:36 PM

So where are yo uon both lists CFDres? Just curious to see how things are going for you on the 2007 list. Best of luck and hope you hear good things for the recruit class in Feb 2009.

CFDRes

06-03-2008, 11:06 AM

So where are yo uon both lists CFDres? Just curious to see how things are going for you on the 2007 list. Best of luck and hope you hear good things for the recruit class in Feb 2009.

As far as the civil service registers go, I was #53 last year and #127 this year. I don't know where I'm at after the 2007 pre-employment process because I was never notified of my standing (a constant source of frustration).

chawk12

06-09-2008, 03:47 PM

So did you participate in the entire pre-employment process for 2007? and If so, does everyone in the top 25% participate in evewry step or do they determine that as they go?

CFDRes

06-10-2008, 12:15 AM

This is going off of my experience during last year's process, but I assume it is pretty much the same. After the letter notifying me where I was on the civil service list (the last letter that went out this year), it was a couple weeks before I received a full background info packet from the fire department. After filling that out including background checks from the WSP and driving abstract, I was assigned dates to come back to seattle for the pre-employment.

The pre-employment process I participated in consisted of going to the Academy campus and taking a written assessment test (mechanical aptitude, math, etc), written psychological exam, written history exam (personal history in drugs, fighting, theft etc.), and meet/greet with some firefighters and officers. This was followed later by a formal interview with a station captain and battalion chief at HQ (same format as the first two interviews), an interview with the recruiting captain to go over the written history exam and clarify any situations that looked unfavorable, and a CPAT at the national testing network in everett.

My understanding is that from that process the department re-shuffled the list (the top 25% that went through) and extended conditional offers about a month later. From there recruits were put through the medical exam, interview with psychologist, and chief's interview. I did not progress past the "prioritization phase." My process lasted from January (written) till October (offers).

Would definitely have appreciated a letter that stated my position on that list so I had an idea what my chances are. As it is, I end up on pins and needles, standing by my mailbox every time I hear they are going to form a class. O well, for my dream department it's worth it.