Keys to the Fire Interview

The fire department interview. It is stressful, scary, and the first of many hurdles in the journey into becoming a firefighter. Many people who would make great firefighters can’t seem to get past the interview. It is an intimidating process, sitting across a table with several firefighters, engineers, captains, and even battalion chiefs dressed up in their class B uniforms. No emotion on their face, no response to your answers other than “Ok thank you, next question.” It feels almost cold and robotic. IF you are not use to it, or not expecting it, you will be thrown off. The fire service is more than just a job, it is your second home. Firefighters will spend 1/3 of their time at the station away from their families and loved ones, so the department is going to try and find the best person possible to fill that role to not just do the job but who can make the station life better. Here are some tips and tools current firefighters have used to become successful in their interview process, that we hope will help you become successful in your next interview.

Know the questions: The fire interview is not like your normal 9-5 job interview. The questions you will be asked are much different, therefore the answers must be different. Several common questions that are asked in fire department interviews include:

-Why do you want to be a firefighter for this department?

-What have you done to prepare for the role of firefighter?

-What was a time you had to confront a supervisor?

-What is customer service mean to you?

Some department will have their own, special questions they are unique to that department. However, many will have these exact questions or variations of the ones listed above. By knowing some of the questions you will be asked, you can now better prepare for them and have your answers clean and organized.

Understand mission statements and values: Every fire department has a mission statement, or slogan that represents the values of that department. Use that to your advantage when preparing for your next interview. If a department’s mission statement is “Community, Compassion, Care” for example, you need to find a way to include one or even all of those values into your answer. “I want to be a firefighter for this department because I live in the community and am a member of it. I want an opportunity to provide care to not just my neighbors, but my family who live here as well. By having the chance to show compassion as a firefighter to the public, I can help make my community a better place.” Now, some departments will actually be tracking your responses and making sure you hit their “Buzz words.” During your answers. Not all departments do that, but it is good to be prepared in case they do. By including these mission statements or values it also shows that you have done your research on the department and have spent time either learning or around the department in person. It shows that you have given time and effort to the department and that will go a long way in your favor.

Organizing your answers: For some people it is hard to speak in front of others. Some people get chocked up, nervous, and will often rush through their answers just to be done sooner. It is important to stay calm, breath, and keep your answers organized. You will already be ready for certain questions, so practice your answers and really get them dialed. If you read the book “The Fire Interview” (Found here on Amazon.) it can really help you find a strategy to keep your answers in line. I had an issue of starting an answer strong but then veering off course and that quickly turned into me rambling on. This book helped me develop a way to keep my answers on topic, and most importantly relevant to the question asked. Speaking with those who have sit on interview panels a major red flag is someone who rambles on and on without every really answering the question or getting so far off topic it is irrelevant from the original question.

Practice: This might sound strange but if you have a decent drive to work everyday, prepare the questions ahead of time and practice talking out loud to yourself during your commute. Or if you have family at home, ask them to sit at the table and practice asking you questions and you respond. This will help you get comfortable talking out loud and gives you a chance to hear your answers and make changes where you see fit. If an answer sounds weird to you as you listen to yourself say it, then chances are the interview panel with think it sounds weird. It also gives you a chance to hear your “fillers”, the “ums,” “right,” “you see”. Don’t be self-conscious because everyone does it, but if you can be mindful of it, that will go a long way in being successful during your interview. I
had about a 35-minute commute twice a day, 4 days a week. I used that time to practice my answers to the questions I was prepared for. I also had co-workers who had their own fire interviews, so we practiced together. When the day of my interview came, I mentally knew I was prepared to speak and deliver a well thought out answer to every question.

Dress appropriately: Most of my interviews here in Phoenix were in the summer months, May-July. That didn’t stop me from wearing a suit and tie with a jacket. I had gone to Macy’s and got measured and fit for slacks, dress shirt, and jacket. I know it costs money, but how you dress and present yourself quickly sets the tone of your interview before you even say a word. Don’t wear overly baggy slacks or shirt, make sure they are irons or steamed cleaned. Wear proper dress shoes or boots. I wore the same cowboy boots I wore to my wedding. Be clean shaved, just because you see firefighters with mustaches, you shouldn’t have one during an interview. Make sure your hair is cut, cleaned, and looking professional.

Stand out: Something that is incredibly important is to do is find something about you that stands out. You have to remember, some departments have hundreds of interviews for a select number of spots. Everyone has their EMT, Fire I & II, maybe a wildland or HAZMAT. You need to find ways to separate yourself during your interview. I mentioned I wore my wedding boots to my interview, I made sure to mention that during one of the questions. After I was offered the position one of the firefighters in my interview mentioned to me that he remembers me wearing my boots and talking about them. I also told a very personal story which I will admit I got chocked up and I showed emotion while trying to finish the story. Another firefighter told me he remembers that because every other interview they had the candidates were almost like robots when sharing their stories. A friend of mine who was picked up at another department spoke about how he grew up on the reservation and had a hard life growing up. He spoke about his hardships and the obstacles he had to overcome. Those stories helped him stand out among other candidates and got him the job offer. If you have military experience, played a college or professional sport, came from another profession, use that to help make yourself stand out.

Test EVERYWHERE: I have heard stories from my senior firefighters of how back in the day some guys would test for years before getting hired. Multiple tests and interviews, and rejection emails. I had 15 interviews before I was offered a job, which is a fraction compared to other friends I have in the service. The more you test not only do you increase your odds of being selected but gets you more experience. Maybe you bombed your first interview because you were not prepared for the questions, the next time you interview you will have better chances of doing well because now you won’t be surprised by anything. You have been there before and are ready for those tricky questions.

Many firefighters will tell you that the hardest part of getting hired is the interview. For some departments it is the final boss you must defeat in order to get that position of fire recruit. It can be difficulty and deflating after a number of failed tries, but just know that you are always one step closer and not give up on the process. I can tell you after a number of failed attempts and finally getting the chance to have a position in the greatest job ever, it is worth every minute of preparing and practicing for those questions. No longer do I have to answer “Why I want to be a firefighter”, I get to say I am a firefighter.