THE INTERVIEW
Once the qualifiedcandidates have been identified and the selection committee has been chosen,interview dates are set. The committee chair sets candidates’ interview times.Although candidates may reschedule individual interview times, the candidate isresponsible for making the necessary arrangements and for alerting the chair toany changes. Although this can be difficult, it also may demonstrate thefirefighter’s organizational skills and willingness to invest his time in theprocess.
The interviews areconducted in four sections, which may or may not be held at the same time.
Background. The first partof the interview process focuses on the candidate’s background, which is hisopportunity to highlight his training, education, and experience and is thecandidate’s best chance to explain why he should be promoted. Conversely, theinterviewers will try to explore, and even exploit, the candidate’s historicalweaknesses. Examples of typical background questions include the following:
• Why should you getthe job?
• What is your worstor weakest characteristic?
• How does thisnegative characteristic affect your performance?
• How are youperceived by your fellow firefighters?
• Are there anynegative perceptions? If so, what are they?
• What is your weakestarea-education or experience?
• Which trait is moreimportant for success as a lieutenant in this department?
Safety. Thesecond oral interview section focuses on safety issues; questions are typicallytaken from fire service textbooks.1Candidates are informed in advance of whichtextbooks will be used, so that they can read and review the material. Usingbooks as a reference/resource for the oral questioning also provides someobjectivity in rating the quality of the interviewee’s answers.
Issues discussedinclude rollover, flashover, backdraft, building collapse causes andindicators, utility hazards and control, and residential/commercial heating andelectrical system hazards. Many times, this is an area in which a detailedquestion relating to a seemingly remote point will be asked. Although thecandidate may consider the question trivial, such questions are asked becauseknowledge of the answer and subject matter demonstrates the firefighter’sawareness of facts that may keep the entire crew safe on the fireground.Specific examples of such questions include the following:
• Should a collapsedanger zone extend all the way around a Type 5 constructed building? Explainyour answer or reasoning.
• Under whatcircumstance is it permissible for a fire crew to stop a natural gas leak in aplastic pipe? (Note: This tactic should be avoided, since it may result in anexplosion.)
Operations. The third examsection concerns operational issues. The candidate is often kept under constantpressure in this part of the interview to see how well he performs underadverse conditions. Originally, my department used scenarios that we read tothe candidate. In the last promotional exam, we used computer-generated models,complete with moving fire and smoke, to test the candidate’s ability to providea size-up, to discuss particular fireground strategies, and to initiatetactics. A wide variety of buildings with different fire and smoke scenarioscan be used; with the proper computer training program, buildings in your owntown can be used for this part of the interview. Response ratings are based oninformation contained within fire service textbooks relating to strategy andtactics, which again lends objectivity to the grading process.
In addition to thescenario-based questions, short tactical questions are appropriate during thissection. Although these questions require short responses, they test thefirefighter’s knowledge of operational issues that a company officer may face.Such questions include the following:
• What are theappropriate strategy and tactics when encountering a cloud of vaporized oil andair, heated above flash point, within a residence (known as “the white ghost”)?
• What are theappropriate strategy and tactics for a natural gas leak occurring on theinterior of a residential structure?
• Explain thedifference between venting for life and venting for fire.
• Why should a secondhoseline follow the path of the first hoseline?
Questions regarding the candidate’s knowledge of the department’sSOPs are also asked. They relate to many different subject areas, includingEMS, hazardous materials, motor vehicle accidents, and structural fireresponses. Some departments may also want to add a component to the examthat uses actual field efficiencies. Some departments have simulated Maydayexams or low-air scenarios to determine the candidate’s ability to operate inthe field under pressure.
Human relations. The promotional exam’s final section teststhe candidate’s ability to handle personnel issues. More recently, this sectionhas received greater emphasis and weight; most problems occurring within thefirehouse relate to human relations, not operational issues. Often, if thecompany officer is a good problem solver, he will resolve issues early and notallow them to detract from the company’s efficiency. If the company officer isa good motivator, he will be able to lead members toward training and operationalgoals. It is also much easier for a lieutenant or captain to educate himselfabout firefighting operations than it is to learn how to deal with otherpeople. After all, the officer has been interacting with other people usuallyfor more than 20 years of his life. Old habits are not broken easily, and it isoften easier to train or retrain the officer with respect to operationalissues.
Personnel issuequestions can vary greatly; real world examples are used often. Examples ofpersonnel questions candidates are asked include the following:
• If you disagree with a chief officer’s decision regarding anadministrative personnel matter, how would you handle that disagreement?
• You have justdirected a member of your station/company to complete a work assignment at thestation. In front of other firefighters, this firefighter refuses to complywith your directive. This is not the first time that this person has refused tocomply with a directive. The other station firefighters are watching you to seewhat action you will take. What do you do?
• A firefighter in the stationreports that another member of your crew, outside your presence, made asexist/discriminatory comment directly to a member of an independent ambulancecrew. How do you handle this situation?
In the finalpromotional exam section, one panel member chose to ask questions regarding thecandidate’s knowledge of the department’s history and tradition. The belief wasthat each candidate should be familiar with these issues, and, if not, the candidatewas pushed to see how well he would function under pressure regarding subjectareas not anticipated as part of the exam.The tacticalscene scenario can be one major event, a series of smaller events, or acombination of all of the above. It can be interactive or non-interactive. Inan interactive scenario a candidate is given a radio and is expected to give onscene report (size up), assume command, name the location of the command post,request resources, and make assignments as he or she would on the fire ground.The candidate is expected to react to information that is provided during theexam. It is common to have “developments” that occur during the course of theincident. The candidate is expected to take appropriate actions when adevelopment occurs. An example of his would be:
Development – “IC from Interior Division, we have located a victim”
Expected action – IC,I understand that you have located a victim. Bring him out the front door and Iwill have a medical group standing by.
Engine 1, IC, You are Medical Group supervisor. Interior isbringing a victim to the front door. Your objective is to receive and treat thevictim. I am assigning you squad 3.
Squad 3, IC, I am assigning youto Medical Group. Set up in front of the building. You have a victim comingyour way.
Interactivetacticals are becoming less common because of the potential for a lack ofconsistency. The person on the other end of the radio has a script he or she isexpected to follow. Since you cannot possibly predict everything that thecandidate will say, it is impossible to maintain consistency.
Non-interactivetactical scenarios are much more common. These enable the raters theopportunity to see the candidate in greater detail. I believe non-interactivetactical favors the prepared candidate since there is so much more down time.The prepared candidate takes this opportunity to showcase his or her knowledge.Here is an example:
Candidate– I would assign engine 1 as division two and give him benchmarks of what Iwanted accomplished. It would sound like this:
Engine 1, IC, lay a supplyline. I am assigning you to Division 2. Give me an All Clear on Primary Searchand knock down the fire on the second floor. My expectations are that theofficer on Engine 1 would lay in from a hydrant, stretch a line to the 2ndfloor and begin a primary search. He would extinguish any fire, but again heknows his number one objective is to give me an “All Clear” on the primarysearch.
As youcan see the non-interactive tactical gives the prepared candidate anopportunity to express his or her thoughts.
