Pre-employment Questions

[firedog11ku Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close firedog11ku]

At a pre-employment interview, I was asked a question that I thought I had answered well. The question was "You are in a structure fire when your partner goes down. You are in the process of rescuing a 5 year old girl. You only have time to save one; Which do you save?"

I answered: "That's a tough question. First I would call for a emergency traffic and call MAYDAY. If there were no responds, I would put the little girl on the chest of the ff and do the rescue where you straddle the victim and crawl using your arms to push under the arms of them."

They then said that this is unsuccessful, which one do you leave behind.

My reply was "If it were me I would hope that my partner would save the little girl first and then hopefully have time to return for me, or a RIT would already be almost there. So I guess I would save the little girl first."

I was told later that that was the question that seperate me and the other two guys. They were number 1 and 2.

What do you think? Was my answer wrong. Am I a bad ff for that answer? Any input would be great. Thanks.

[Waterboy620 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close Waterboy620]

You should have answered that question "My partner" without any pause or thought. It is a very unfair question and the department you tested for obviously has some kind of complex about brotherhood. They want to find out if you would save their lil butts first which is selfish if you ask me. You answered correctly in my opinion. If I was down in a fire with you and you had to choose I would want you to save the girl. I have accepted the fact that this job could kill me and I could not live with the fact that I was alive only because you chose to end the life of a five year old girl. Was this for a volunteer department or paid?

[tfogle Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close tfogle]

The order is like this (and yes, I agree, it was an unfair question):

1. Us
2. Them
3. The building

[ForbesCTC MembersZone Subscriber Find all posts View Profile Close ForbesCTC]

Definately an unfair question.

1. ME
2. WE
3. THEM

Or has I've heard it in the past.
3 A** theory..
My a**, your a**, their a**.
We must take care of ourselves and our brothers and sisters first.

[hctrouble25 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close hctrouble25]

It sucks but everyone is right...the answer is your partner...and it is not so much about brotherhood as everyone thinks. The house is on fire..the child has no breathing apparatus...you have no idea how much smoke she has inhaled or for how long...your partner just went down and has a higher survival rate...at least according to the SOGs of many departments. I think your first answer was fine..if you can then save them both...it is at least worth a try.

[3greyhounds Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close 3greyhounds]

Talk about a loaded question...

Either way you answered, they could have turned it against you. But I have to agree with the others... *if* I had to make that choice of one or the other, my partner's coming out with me. But your initial answer was d*mn good IMHO.

[firedog11ku Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close firedog11ku]

This was a "half & half" department. They had more question that were just like it, but this was the one that we differed on. I was told that the best answer was to save the partner because he could do more good in the future. Does that make any sense. I see their point and would never sacrifice my partner for anyone else, but whose to say that this little girl wouldn't grow up to be the developer of the cure for AIDS or Cancer. I guess their reasoning is not a good one to me.

[kfd232 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close kfd232]

Why don't you ask them this question.
If the little girl in this scenerio was your daughter, Chief, who would you rescue?

Cuz she sure as **** was somebodies daughter!


I think that it would be better to quickly remove the child and then run back for your partner. He does have an airpak and bunkers to protect him... and besides that... he would kick my butt if I let a little girl die and pulled him out first.
Tough choice, but I think your first answer about getting both is probably the most realistic in that given situation.

be safe brothers

[ 10-09-2001: Message edited by: Scott Reasor ]

[firemonkey70 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close firemonkey70]

AHHHH!!!!! YES, THE "HERO" QUESTIONS. I HAVE HAD PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE WITH THIS QUESTION AND MANY OTHER SIMILAR TO IT. ANOTHER ONE IS A MULTI STORY BUILDING YOU ARE SENT TO THE 5TH FLOOR AND YOU FIND 2 SEMI-CONSCIENCE ADULTS WHO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS AN INFANT ON THE 3RD FLOOR WHAT DO YOU DO????? THE CORRECT ANSWER IS RESCUE THE 2 PEOPLE YOU ARE WITH FIRST AND RADIO OR COMMUNICATE THE INFANT ON THE 3RD FLOOR TO COMMAND. THINK BEFORE YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IT IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO THINK FOR A WHILE PRIOR TO ANSWERING ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT AN INTERVIEWER ASKS. I AM A FORMER RESIDENT OF MICHIGAN WHERE THIS QUESTION IS USED AT ALL MOST ALL INTERVIEWS. SORRY IT HAS PASSED ON TO OTHER STATES. JUST THINK PRIOR TO ANSWERING, THEY ARE TRYING TO WEED OUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INSPIRED BY TV OR MOVIES THE "HERO" COMPLEX OF SAVING THE WORLD.

ME
ME AGAIN
YOU
YOU AGAIN
THEM

[Fire Eater 07 Forum Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fire Eater 07]

loved the original answer fire dog!....unfortuneatly that question sucks just as every one else has said....cuz ill be damned if i leave ANYONE inside if they are both next to me...thats just no way to go, noboby deserves to die like that...well maybe a couple
bute definitly for testing procedures:
Me
You
Them
Building
stay safe