The firefighter Interview can take the form of a behavioral, situational, traditional or technical style of interviewing. It may also include a combination of all four types.

Behavioral style of interviewing scores the candidate on a skill/competency based on a past experience. These questions usually begin with “tell us about a time”. The candidate must describe the situation and then tell the board what they did in the situation and provide a result at the end of their story. These types of question are very difficult to answer on the fly and preparation is vital in scoring top marks.

In Situational interviewing the board provides a hypothetical situation in the context of the fire service. The board is looking for not only specific competencies, but also problem-solving abilities, knowledge of chain of command, conflict resolution, emergency priorities, and common sense.

Technical interview questions are based on the knowledge the candidate states they have in their resume. Candidates who have an N.F.P.A. 1001 designation may be asked questions to verify their knowledge in the field.

Traditional types of questions are found in most interviews, for example “Can you tell the board what your weakness is?” This may seem standard; however your weakness must not be some thing that is inherent in firefighting. Also you must tell the board what you are doing to improve on the weakness which turns the answer around to a positive.

The “Study Guide for the Firefighter Interview” will provide you with insight into all types of interviews and questions and provide an action plan in reaching interview success. Completing the study guide will take time, therefore don’t wait until you receive notice of your interview date, at this point it will be too late to effectively prepare.

“If you’re not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he’ll be ready to take your job” Brooks Robinson American professional Baseball Player. 1937