Interview Tips?

[busywaters]

I have a Firefighter interview coming up this Thursday. I've been told that in the past the interview committee tends to ask many scenario based questions. I believe firefighter ethics and inter-department problem solving are the kind of things they may be looking for. Anyone with suggestions or past experience to pass on?

Anything would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

[TaylorH]

Search for posts related to this and by Capt. Bob.

Good luck!

[Jason6368]

my first interview i did exactly what your doing...waiting til the last minute, thinking if someone gave you the questions you while know how to answer them. My first interview I BOMBED it. if you knew a while ago about the interview coming up, you should have been looking for this info since day one. If you just found out about this interview today, then good luck and i hope for the best for you.

The BEST way of learning out to pass an interview is to take them. I can see my progression of how i take interviews, how i fill out apps, how i do written tests. I would suggest going to a firehouse and be blunt with them. tell them you have an interview coming up and you dont know anything of what they would ask and ask them for a mock interview. I tried to get help from a firehouse right before my first interview, and they quit helping me within a couple minutes of the mock. They knew that i wasnt even close to being ready. they told me to take it, and learn from it. They just gave me pointers.

[CaptBob]

Jason6368 wrote:
The BEST way of learning out to pass an interview is to take them.

True. The more tests you take the better you get at taking tests. But how about learning how to pass an interview before you show up? How many opportunities have you wasted in trying to figure out the combination to the vault? How long is it going to going to take beating your head against the wall until you figure out how to take an oral board that is probably 100% of your score to get hired?

This might help you on the dreaded scenario questions:

Don’t start a soap opera

Do you think you have what it takes to answer all situation questions correctly? . . . answer this (in less that an hour)?

What would you do as a rookie firefighter? Your Captain asks you to come in his office to review your final evaluation of probation. You notice a smell of alcohol on his breath? How would you reply?

This is a perfect example how you can be fooled on a scenario question. I believe there are only 30 oral board questions. They can be disguised in hundreds of different ways. This is one of the disguises for drinking on the job, which is number 12 on our 30 plus list.

Here is a simple way to break a disguised question down. Dissect the question down to its simplest term, one word, of what the question is really about (i.e. stealing, drugs, drinking, etc.). Once you have removed the disguise, you can place it in one of the 30 plus oral board questions you already have answers for. You can find a list of the 30 sample oral board questions here: http://www.eatstress.com/thirty22.htm

This is one of the simple tools we have to uncomplicate the oral board process.

One way to help you do this is picture a piece of paper with a line drawn down the center. On the left of the line are issues dealing with ethics, such as stealing, drugs, or drinking. With ethical issues, you ask appropriate questions to determine what you suspect.

If true, you don’t deviate . . . you go straight up to a supervisor. On the right side of the line is anything to do with getting along with others; you will go to great lengths to work it out before going to a supervisor. If you can decide what side of the line the question belongs, you have a better chance of knowing how to answer the question.

So take off the disguise that this is your captain. Dissect the question down to its simplest form; one word. What is this about? Right, drinking. What side of the line is this on? Right or left. If it’s on the left side of the line what do we do? Drinking is not tolerated. Right again. Ask questions to determine if your suspicions are correct (are you drinking?). If so, you go straight up (why don’t we go to our supervisor) no matter who or what rank is on the other side of the table; and stick to your answer no matter what. YOU WILL NEVER BE WRONG! TRUST ME!

Here’s another way this question can be disguised:

You go in the locker room and see a fellow firefighter drinking something that looks like alcohol. What do you do? The clone, soap opera answer would be: I would try to get him into the day room, play cards and try to smell his breath; or I would have him go home sick, or have another firefighter come into relieve him.

These are all soap opera answers. Unfortunately they are taught in fire academies and fire technology programs. They will make you a clone candidate. Don’t go on this journey. They are insulting to the oral board. You will loose valuable points here. We are intelligent beings on the other side of the table. Give us credit for that. Don’t start a soap opera. Ask a question that would verify your suspicions and give a direct answer; not a soap opera.

Understand that if the oral board fires up a question that sounds like drinking on the job, it’s going to be about drinking on the job. If it’s a question that sounds like taking drugs on the job, it’s going to be about taking drugs on the job; It’s not going to be aspirin. If the question sounds like it’s about stealing on the job, it’s going to be about stealing on the job. If they fire up a question that sounds like sexual harassment, that’s what it’s going to be about, or they wouldn’t bring it up.

If they fire up these questions, take off the disguise ask questions to verify what you suspect, decide what side of the line it belongs on and then take action in fantasyland. Don’t be like so many candidates by starting a soap opera.

Again, there are only about 30 oral board questions. They can be disguised in hundreds of different ways. It’s your job to take off the disguise and find the real question and have a “Nugget” answer to satisfy the oral board, get your best score on the answer and cause the board to go onto the next question.

There are only 30 questions. What are your answers? Take the question apart, know the real purpose of the question and deliver your “Nugget” answer.

[BCLepore]

Interviews

The fire department interview is a unique challenge that is a component of the hiring process for most fire departments. As a general rule, the interview is usually weighed more than any other portion of the exam. It is not uncommon to have each of the other phases of the exam weighted “pass or fail,” while the interview is weighted 100% of the candidate’s overall score. Simply stated, the interview is the most important phase of the exam process.
Many of the questions put a candidate in a “no win” situation. They are designed to see how the individual can think on his or her feet. While there are often no clear-cut right answers, there are usually automatic fail points.
The best way to learn how to succeed in the interview is to educate yourself on the process. The more you learn about the types of questions that are commonly asked, the more you can do your research, reflect on your own views and attitudes, and present appropriate answers.
The competition is so stiff to get a job (usually one hundred applicants for each opening) that fire departments only hire the cream of the crop. One wrong answer will often eliminate a candidate from the process.
Once a candidate understands the interview process and learns what we are looking for, he or she scores well on every future interview. As a result, the candidate will receive multiple job offers.
Since many fire departments only require that a candidate be at least 18-years of age and possess a high school diploma or GED, a candidate theoretically could get hired without having taken a single fire science or EMT course. However, completing EMT training, taking fire science courses and graduating from a basic fire academy will undoubtedly improve a candidate’s chances of getting hired.
If a department puts its new recruits through a formal training academy, a candidate who does not possess any of the aforementioned credentials will still have a chance in the hiring process. Other departments require completion of a basic fire academy to even qualify to apply.
The most important thing in the interview process is for the candidate to present him or herself as a person we want to have as a part of our crew. A candidate can have the most impressive resume, but if he or she is not someone we want to spend a 24-hour shift with, we will not hire him or her to be part of our family. Remember, we have the option of choosing anyone we want. We can train you to be a firefighter; we cannot train you to be a good person.
The best way to improve your interview scores is with practice, or mock, interviews. Knock on the door of your local firehouse and enlist the help of the firefighters. They undoubtedly took an interview to get their badge. Some crews will be more current than others on the interview and testing process. Since firefighters are usually not short on opinions, they will probably have a lot to share with you. Listen to what they have to say and incorporate it into your delivery.
Once you have learned the basics of how to take an interview, a private coaching session will certainly enhance your score. I would suggest learning all you can before enlisting the assistance of an interview coach. When you feel you are ready, it is a great investment of your time and money.
The following is an excerpt from my book, “Smoke Your Firefighter Interview.” Although it may be a review for those who have already the read book, I feel it is important to be exposed to the thought processes behind an interview question.

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Paul Lepore. My family and I live in Dana Point, California. My wife, Marian, and I have been married for 12 years and have two daughters, Ashley and Samantha. I grew up in Huntington Beach and spent the majority of my life in northern Orange County before moving south 3 years ago.
I enjoy sport fishing. My wife and I own a boat on which we spend a lot of time fishing and exploring the waters around Catalina Island. My love of fishing has taken me on some extensive travels through Baja, California. I have even written a book about my passion, called “Sport Fishing in Baja.” In addition to the outdoors, I also like playing racquetball and basketball and enjoy riding my bicycle.
I currently work as an electrician. Two years ago I set myself a goal to become a firefighter. Since then I have pursued an education in fire science and have learned all I could about becoming a good firefighter.

Reasoning:
The purpose of this question is to provide you, the candidate, with an opportunity to discuss your personal life. As you may have noticed, I did not mention much about my qualifications. I used this opportunity to talk about my personal life and my hobbies. This kind of question is designed to encourage you to bring out information about your life experiences and personal interests.
Sharing personal information about yourself gives the rater an opportunity to learn what kind of person you are. It also gives the rater a chance to discover something about you that he or she can relate to. That may create a positive feeling, which may result in him/her giving you a higher score. Let me give you an analogy to illustrate my point.
Imagine that our wives work together and have dragged us to their annual office Christmas party. We are sitting at a circular table dressed in our suits and ties. Our wives disappear to mingle with their co-workers. You and I have never met but sense we are in the same boat. Rather than ignore one another, we start talking about such things as where we’re from, how many kids we have, where we live, etc. If we have a lot of time to talk, we might even discuss the kind of work we do, how we met our wives, how long we’ve been married and where we grew up.
Usually when you find a common interest with another person, you tend to want to explore that. For example, if the other person mentions that he likes fishing, I would ask him more about it since I also enjoy fishing. I would mention my interest in both fresh and salt water fishing, and encourage him to talk about his fishing adventures.
This example illustrates how common ground can promote conversation, which may then lead into discovering other common areas of interest.
Many candidates mistake this question as an opportunity to outline their resume. This is a serious mistake. The question is designed to encourage answers about your personal interests. This is your opportunity to show the board who you are. Don’t waste time going over your qualifications; rather, use the time to enlighten the board.
By using this opportunity to provide information about where you are from, what you do for fun, and any special accomplishments that you are proud of, hopefully someone on the board will identify with something you have said and will feel a connection.
You never know what that connection could be. It may be that they too played high school or college football. Maybe they are from the same part of the country. Perhaps a board member who plays basketball is looking for players for the basketball team. They may have an interest in auto mechanics. It may be possible that you speak a foreign language and your skills may be needed in certain areas of the community. Another benefit of providing personal information about yourself is that once a rater feels a bond with you, he or she is more likely to give you a higher score. It stands to reason that if no connection has been established, you will have to work that much harder for a good score.
Let’s say the department has an opening for a seat on the fire engine. They have decided to hire a firefighter to fill the vacancy. Since fire departments are always inundated with prospective candidates when they give an exam, they have the luxury of hiring whomever they want. This wide range of choice makes it more likely that they will hire someone they like.
If you are going to be put straight onto a fire engine, our choices are more limited since prior training is a must. In other words, the department may be looking for someone who has already put him or herself through a basic fire academy at the local junior college.
If we are going to put the new hire through a fire academy, we can hire someone with minimal experience. Firefighters would much rather hire someone who has similar interests, values, goals and morals. I’m not saying they’re looking for clones. What they are looking for is someone who fits the profile of a firefighter. They have a much better chance of choosing someone compatible by learning about them personally as well as professionally.


Why do you want to be a firefighter?
Years ago, when I was researching potential career choices, I learned that the father of one of my friends was a firefighter. As I quizzed him about his job, I was struck by how much he loved what he was doing. It was rare to find someone who truly enjoys what he does.
The more I researched the fire service, the more convinced I became that it was the right choice for me. Since then I have visited many fire stations and have gone on several ride-alongs. The reasons I want to become a firefighter are numerous. They include the following:
I enjoy helping people. It gives me great pleasure and it would be very fulfilling to have a profession in which I was able to help people every day.
I would like to be part of a team that solves problems in the community. Whether it is a fire, flood, hazardous material spill, or medical emergency, it feels good to know that citizens can rely on the fire department to help solve their problems.
Being a role model in the community is also important to me. I know children look up to firefighters and I feel we have an obligation to be there for them. I realize the importance of having a smile on my face and being respectful at all times. I also know that firefighters volunteer their time to promote good will within the community. I feel this is a vital part of a firefighter’s job. What also appeals to me is the camaraderie that develops in the fire station. Living and working together for 24-hours at a time allows firefighters to develop some incredibly strong bonds.
I like the challenges that a day at the fire station can bring. Even though our on-duty days are planned out, plans can be interrupted at a moment’s notice for an emergency response.
Since I am a problem solver, I would thrive on contributing my problem-solving skills to the team. But I know if I’m having difficulty solving a problem, I would be able to rely on the other crewmembers to come up with a solution. The amount of shared knowledge among firefighters is tremendous.
I know being a firefighter will provide many opportunities for learning. There is a tremendous amount of information that a firefighter must learn in order to become competent in his or her job. It would be up to me to set a goal and study hard to achieve that goal. Once I have mastered the roles and responsibilities of a firefighter, I know that I will have many opportunities to test for more challenging roles such as paramedic, engineer, lieutenant or captain.
I like working with my hands. I know the fire service uses a myriad of specialized power, hydraulic and hand tools.
I know the community will always need firefighters. It is comforting to know that firefighters rarely get laid off.
I like the benefits package offered by the fire department. I currently have to pay for healthcare benefits out of my own pocket. I know that healthcare and retirement benefits are part of the fire department’s employment benefits package.
The fire department pays good salaries, which will help me provide for my family.
The fire department’s flexible schedule would allow me to continue my education and also frees up more time for family activities such as coaching my daughter’s soccer team.
I like fighting fire. It is exciting and challenging to arrive on scene and perform hose lays, throw ladders, and rescue people. What a great sense of accomplishment that would be.
Since I am interested in medical calls, I would enjoy being an EMT. If the opportunity ever came up, I would like to consider being a paramedic.

Reasoning:
It always amazes me how unprepared candidates are for this basic question. Invariably, when faced with this question, they are usually stumped for an answer. This is the easiest question of all since there is really no right or wrong answer. The panel is trying to determine what your motivation is for wanting to become a firefighter.
Do you believe firefighters have a lot of free time and make good money? If this is your primary motivation, you are in for a rude awakening. If those are your first two answers you are unlikely to get a job in the fire service. If you do manage to get a job with that perception in mind, you will probably have difficulty during your initial training.
These are just a few examples of why candidates want to become firefighters. I suggest you write the reasons that motivate YOU to become a firefighter. When asked the question in an interview, it is important that you not try to remember what you have written down, but rather speak from the heart. If you truly have thought about it, the answer will come naturally. It is discouraging to listen to someone try to figure out the answer to the question during the course of the interview. On the other hand, it is refreshing to listen to a candidate who has given a great deal of thought as to why he or she wants to be a firefighter. Also, try to avoid using “canned” (rehearsed) answers. As a rater, it is discouraging to hear a candidate try to repeat what someone has instructed him or her to say. It is important to speak from the heart, rather than try to parrot some catchy phrase that you learned in an interview class.
Raters usually volunteer to be on the oral boards. As a general rule, most firefighters really enjoy their job. A candidate who demonstrates enthusiasm for the fire service will most likely strike a chord with the raters. If the raters love their job, you can bet they will be looking for firefighters who will also appreciate the job.
Remember, evaluators want to give you a good score. It is up to you to give them a reason to do so.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[peterbound]

"I would have him go home sick, or have another firefighter come into relieve him. "


I was always told that this is the best way to approach this question, being that you are following the rules and still not being the dreaded tattletale of the fire department.. wouldn't it be better to have someone come in a cover an individual or get him a ride home then to potentially ruin his career.. if he refused to go then obviously you would have to get someone above him involved.. but should this situation be handled at the lowest possible level..
seems like the right answer to me would sound something like:


"I'd ask him to take some comp time/sick time off.. offer to get him a cab home (so he wouldn't Drink and Drive) and see if some one would like to pull some over time.. if he was agreeable to that scenario i would also offer to try and find someone in the department (through HR or another agency) that he could talk to confidentially about what could be a problem (if a guys coming to work drunk he needs to talk to someone), or if he wanted to go to n AA meeting i'd offer to go with him..
If that scenario wasn't to his liking i would tell him that i felt i needed to escalate the issue and tell our direct line supervisor and cite a safety issue with the guy being on the truck (if the guys drunk i don't want him driving/backing me up) and hopefully we could work something out to get our fellow fire fighter home, and some much needed help"


Seems to me that situation would be a little more helpful and less harmful to the parties involved.. and i don't think a Oral Board could fault you for that.
or am i just crazy?

[CaptBob]

I was always told that this is the best way to approach this question, being that you are following the rules and still not being the dreaded tattletale of the fire department.. or am i just crazy?

What???? Yep, everyone seems to become an expert once they're hired. Your answer is not what this is about. Is drinking tollerated on the job? Yes or no?

Understand the oral board might be like fantasy land. You might do something different in real live. But in fantasy land you will want to follow the yellow brick road and not look behind the curtain.

Your answer is a perfect example of creating a soap opera answer. You have taken the bait and burried the hook. So, you're going to take him to an AA meeting, yada, yada, yada. If you answered this question with your answer you have failed the question.

Your concern is not what happens to him if he is reported. He violated deparment policy, compromised the integrity of the company and violated public trust.

[peterbound]

Ok.. as a military member, i dig on toeing the party line and living by the rules (you show up to work even smelling like liquor at a military fire department you get sent to the clinic.. have blood drawn.. and stand tall in front of the man) but as stated above.. arn't they trying to weed out people they /don't/ want to work with.. no one wants to work with a rat.. i know i'm prolly reading too much into it.. but it stands to reason that a fire department would want someone with some compassion.. and can make judgment calls.. not some AFI/Reg quoting automaton. just my 2 cents

[BCLepore]

We are looking for people who are willing to step up and do the right thing, regardless of how uncomfortable it is. I guarantee you that we are not looking for people who would cover up something that is known to be wrong. Drinking on the job is not allowed. Nobody will dispute this fact. Why would I hire someone who is going to cover up something so wrong?

Let’s look at this another way. Let’s say this firefighter is also a driver. He or she is involved in an accident. The first thing many of our departments will do is a drug and alcohol screening. He will lose his job. Let’s look at another way. This firefighter is injures someone else while he is under the influence. Imagine the liability to the department. Imagine the ramifications to the fire service as the story runs on CNN.

We use this same question in the promotional interview for Lieutenant and Captain. It goes something like this:

A firefighter on your crew approaches you shortly after shift change and tells you that he is too hung over to work. He wants to use his sick leave and go home. What would you do and why?

By allowing him to get in his car and drive home, you have now incurred the liability for the department (see above).

He also showed up to work unprepared to perform his duties which impacts your operational readiness.

Lastly, according to many departments’ sick leave policy, he is abusing his sick leave.

In closing, I would not sweep this under the carpet.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[peterbound]

I dunno..maybe i'm just focusing too much of how i think Phoenix Fire would want to hear it.. it's really the only place i'm interested in working at, one of their motto's is 'Be Nice' after all, so they might have a different out look on they way they hire then some of the other major fire departments.. and after talking to some of the fire fighters that work there it just seemed like the way to answer it is to look after your fellow fire fighter first

[BCLepore]

Phoenix is no different than any other department. You need to keep in mind that the people who are on the interview panels (Captain and above) are the ones who have to manage a firefighter who has made a bad decision. I guarantee you that none of them would advocate covering for a firefighter who has been drinking on duty. If you are going to quote the Phoenix motto of, "Be nice" you are applying it the wrong way. Being nice does not, in any way, mean that you cover for someone who is breaking a policy and putting his or her coworkers in danger (not to mention the community).

More importantly, you need to reevaluate they way you are looking at these questions. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO COVER UP SOMETHING THEY KNOW TO BE WRONG.

There is a reason firefighters are the most trusted person in America. It's not because we cover things up. That's just not the way we operate. More importantly, we don't hire people who have operated that way throughout their life. That's why we do a thorough background investigation. It all ties together. That's why we ask the interview questions that deal with ethical dilemas.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[CaptBob]

I dunno..maybe i'm just focusing too much of how i think Phoenix Fire would want to hear it.. it's really the only place i'm interested in working at, one of their motto's is 'Be Nice' after all, so they might have a different out look on they way they hire then some of the other major fire departments.. and after talking to some of the fire fighters that work there it just seemed like the way to answer it is to look after your fellow fire fighter first

Another one of those everyone is an expert once they get hired. Although Phoenix can be a little different from other testing agencies 'Be Nice' after all is not what is going to get you your best score on this answer. Your reply was a classic clone answer that will not work in your favor.

I would also like to encourage you to broaden your horizons to also test elsewhere. The more tests you take the better you get at taking tests. Then when you test for the department you really want to work for you will be up to speed, ahead of the curve and not be stumped by a question you've never heard before.

[BCLepore]

You are at the scene of a fire in a retail store. While you are performing overhaul to make sure the fire is completely extinguished, you notice your senior firefighter pick up an object, put it in his turnout coat pocket and is now walking out of the building. What would you do and why?

Answer:
The first thing I would do is to gather the facts. The question stated that I saw my fellow firefighter put something in his pocket. I am pretty sure that it is something that fell out of his pocket when he bent over. I am not going to assume that he is stealing something. I believe that firefighters are an honest group of people. I am certain that once I gather the facts, I will find that there is a simple explanation.

Keeping this in mind, I would feel an obligation to investigate the matter. I would approach the firefighter and ask him if he is keeping the valuables in his turnout coat pocket for safekeeping. His response will dictate my reactions. If he tells me yes, I would give him any valuables that I have collected and continue with my duties. This is consistent with what firefighters do on the fire ground during salvage operations. Yes, it is a little unconventional to put something in your turnout coat pocket instead of a salvage bag, but it is what we do nonetheless.

If he looks at me like I am crazy and denies putting anything into his pocket, we would have a problem. I will reiterate that I believe that I saw him put something into his pocket. If he still denies it, I would feel like now I am at a crossroads.

I will tell him what I saw. I will make it clear to him that I have no intention of letting this issue pass without taking proper action. It is important that the captain find out about this situation. It is an uncomfortable set of circumstances but I would not be willing to let it pass without taking the appropriate action. My objective would be to show my fellow firefighter the value of him bringing it to the captain’s attention on his own.

If I am unable to convince him, or he is not willing to tell the captain, I have no recourse but to tell him myself. I know it will make the firefighter look better in the eyes of the captain if he comes forward with the information. If he is unwilling to come forward on his own, I will have to do it myself. Lastly, by doing so it will make it much easier on my relationships with my fellow firefighters.

The firefighter apologizes, says he lost his mind for a moment, and offers to put the item back. He says he is sorry and that he doesn’t know what he was thinking. He asks to keep this between us “brother firefighters.”

I will be sympathetic but firm. I will explain to him that even though I understand that this is a difficult situation, one way or another the captain needs to be informed. I will tell him that it will sound better if he tells the captain himself. I will ask him if he would be more comfortable, I will go with him. Make no mistake about it; if he is not willing to tell the captain, I will.

Reasoning:
The fire service is looking for people who have the intestinal fortitude to handle uncomfortable situations. You cannot sweep this under the carpet. This is a serious offense. This goes against everything we stand for in the fire service. The fire service is looking for people who aren’t afraid of sticking up for what they believe.

In this situation, the path of least resistance would be to turn your head and take no action. Unfortunately, although this would be much easier, it would be unacceptable. There are hundreds of people who are interested in becoming a firefighter. It takes a special person with conviction to become a one.

The firefighter who stole needs help. Do not try to counsel him. The only reason he was willing to return the object is because you caught him. Had you not done so, he would probably continue to steal at every chance.

It is important that the Captain find out about this situation. It is an uncomfortable set of circumstances but you had better not let this pass without taking proper action. Your objective is to show your fellow firefighter the value of bringing something like this to the Captain’s attention.

The only reason he is remorseful is because he got caught. You have to wonder how many times he has done this in the past without getting caught. How many times will he do this in the future? The only difference is that he will be much more careful. It is my responsibility to ensure that does not happen again.

This goes against everything we stand for in the fire service. Many firefighters do not even lock their lockers in the fire station because we trust each other. Firefighters do not steal!

Fire fighting is one of the only occupations where you can enter someone’s home with all of their worldly possessions and not have the citizen worry that something will turn up missing.

The public trust rating of firefighters is tremendous. There is no way this should be violated.

If you are unable to convince your fellow firefighter to tell the Captain you have no recourse but to tell him yourself.

This situation is not an ethical dilemma or moral decision for you. It might be for him, but there is no doubt that you are going to do the right thing. The dilemma is getting him to come forward on his own.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[CaptBob]

Listen to these scenario based questions for the key word what the question is about. While sitting in the chair dissect the question down to its simplest term, one word, of what the question is really about (i.e. stealing, drugs, drinking, etc.).

Then visualize a piece of paper in your mind with a line drawn down the center. On the left of the line are issues dealing with ethics, such as stealing, drugs, or drinking.

With ethical issues, you ask appropriate questions to determine what you suspect.

If true, you don’t deviate . . . you go straight up to a supervisor.

On the right side of the line is anything to do with getting along with others; you will go to great lengths to work it out before going to a supervisor. If you can decide what side of the line the question belongs, you have a better chance of knowing how to answer the question.

How about this one:

You’re a firefighter and the guys in the station want to you to participate with them to play a joke on the female firefighter. What do you do?

Many candidates have said, “Well these kinds of jokes are part of being a firefighter, or we are a family; it’s expected, or depending how bad the joke is or I’ve played jokes on others before, etc.”

Let’s go back to the original formula. Dissect the question down to its simplest form to one or two words. What is the core purpose of this question? Take off the disguise and you will have one of the questions from the 30 plus oral board list above.
Have you got it?

X

X

X

X



It’s . . . . SEXUAL HARASSMENT!

Many of the candidates screamed out loud when they finally figured out the real purpose of the question. Too many gave a poor answer.

In reference to the above sexual harassment question I received this question:

I’m not trying to be cheeky, this is a serious question. Would the board ever ask the question in reverse? Meaning would they ask a female candidate if they would participate in a joke on a male candidate? If yes, would they be looking for the candidate to reply no, that it would be sexual harassment? Would it be appropriate for either gender to say they would participate, distinguishing that only if the joke would not be of a nature that may be sexual harassment? This issue is very important in my city, because they are on the verge of hiring the first female firefighter. Not only do male candidates want to make it understood that they are able to work with females in this environment, likewise I would not want to appear as if I was concerned about this type of scenario or uncomfortable and oversensitive about the cajoling that goes on.

Reply: Sexual harassment questions are the most dangerous of oral board areas. It’s a can of worms. You need to keep your answers short and simple here. Otherwise, you will tank yourself big time. It has nothing to do with which gender, it’s how it’s interpreted and received by the person that is offended. Now what’s your answer?

So in this fantasyland environment, sexual harassment is not tolerated. If you try to draw a line at cajoling, where does it stop? At sarcastic comments, physical contact? You will open a can of worms trying to make everyone happy. You could express how an easygoing person you are, but sexual harassment is not tolerated. Again that is determined by the person who is offended. Male or female. It’s the LAW! There are personnel rules to protect you.

Question: Do you see any difference between a male or female supervisor? A simple answer in Fantasyland is “NO”. If you say, “I don’t see a problem”, you’re dead. Because, when you use the word problem, it connotes a problem. Fun, isn’t it?

One candidate was asked this question in his oral. He replied, “No problem. My current supervisor is a scientist. She is the most intelligent articulate person I’ve ever met.” He had a chance to talk to one of the oral board officers later about his low score. The officer told him when he left the room, the women panel member said, “Did you hear what he said?” The two men went duh? She took it as if all other women weren’t as intelligent and articulate as his supervisor. Go figure. This is why you keep it simple here. Now you know why marriage is the only war where you sleep with the enemy.

With this and any other scenario question you want to confirm what you suspect by talking to the problem person first; always in private. Never jump to a conclusion or assume. If you assume, it will make an ass out of you and me (ass-u-me). If you have a valid problem you are protected.

It’s the LAW! There are personnel rules to protect you. It is posted in every firehouse. You will find it listed (you might quote this in your oral) on the job announcement. It reads something like: The City of Cucamonga guarantees its employees to be free from sexual and racial harassment.

If you can locate and quote the personnel section in your oral board, all the better. One of our candidates was asked a harassment question. His reply was, “According to your personnel rules section 2268, sexual harassment will not be tolerated.

Imagine the shocked expression on the oral board panels faces. He had just delivered the “Nugget” answer. They were finished with that question. He must have nailed that question and his oral, because he’s wearing that department’s badge!

Again, there are only about 30 oral board questions. They can be disguised in hundreds of different ways. It’s your job to take off the disguise and find the real question and have a “Nugget” answer to satisfy the oral board, get your best score on the answer and cause the board to go onto the next question.

There are only 30 questions. What are your answers? Take the question apart, know the real purpose of the question and deliver your “Nugget” answer.

[busywaters]

Thanks for the advice. It certainly lead to a spirited discussion. I appreciate everyone's help. The effort by everyone to help some random person like me, in itself, is inspiring.

I have interviewed a couple of times this past year in other cities in an effort to prepare for my upcoming interview. The interviews were more of the standard get to know you, "Why do you want to be a Firefighter" type of questions. Scenarios will be new territory for me if I encounter them tomorrow. The advice that I have received from everyone is great food for thought that I can incorporate into my answers. I believe I'll be able to take the proper approach to these questions.

Thanks Again.