Firefighter Mock Interview

Practice 35 Firefighter interview questions covering situational scenarios, physical fitness, and emergency response judgment.

Question 13 of 35

Being a Firefighter is more than just facing risks; you have to be cautious and smart. Do you consider yourself to be cautious and smart when dealing with intense situations?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Example Answer
What to Avoid
Example Answer 2
Community Answers

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

Firefighters need to be cautious and intelligent since they work in all types of emergencies and need to keep a level head. Firefighters are responsible not only for their own safety but also for the safety of their crew and the public.

The interviewer wants to hire a Firefighter who is not afraid to take risks but is also intelligent and cautious while doing so. They want someone who does not fear placing themselves in harm's way but takes safety precautions to protect themselves and others. If you are the type of Firefighter who does not believe in wearing your SCBA while fighting a fire, the interviewer will believe you to be a liability to the department and pass you over for a more safety-conscious individual.

Fire departments train their personnel to analyze and evaluate risky situations. They teach their Firefighters to assess the scene for hazards and proceed with caution once the scene is deemed safe. They also train to retreat when a situation becomes too unsafe to keep their personnel from becoming injured or killed.

Explain how you assess and analyze risks. Describe a time you cautiously and intelligently handled a risky situation. If you do not have a story to share, explain what you would do in a dangerous situation.

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

"I consider myself to be cautious and smart, but more than anything, I consider myself to have common sense. I approach risky situations with situational awareness. I like to know what is happening around me. Even if I am at the grocery store, I like to know where the emergency exits are in case of fire or another type of emergency. I always have a backup plan."

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

When responding to this question, you avoid giving the interviewer reason to believe that you would be a liability if hired. If you say that you just let your instincts kick in and hope for the best when faced with an intense situation, the interviewer will think you do not analyze and evaluate the risks and could cause harm to yourself or others.

Instead, convey that you are a safety-minded Firefighter who is willing to take risks. The interviewer should understand that you take appropriate safety measures to protect yourself, your crew, and the community while performing a dangerous job.

There are many laws and regulations in place to keep employees from being injured or killed on the job. If a Firefighter is hurt while on duty, the fire department is responsible for that injury. The interviewer wants to hear that you are not reckless and will be a good employee if hired.

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

"Yes, I consider myself intelligent and cautious when working in intense situations. I have worked as a Paramedic for the past seven years and have been involved in dangerous situations many times. I always approach a scene with caution and analyze the scene to determine if it is safe to enter and know when to retreat if it becomes unsafe. For example, my unit was dispatched to an unknown medical emergency in an alley behind a restaurant last month. Law enforcement was not dispatched due to the nature of the call. When I arrived on the scene, there was a violent patient who a bystander said was on PCP, and he was attacking a woman. My partner and I didn't have the training needed to apprehend this person, so we retreated and called for law enforcement. Once the officers had the person in custody, we could enter and treat the patient. It is difficult to witness someone being attacked, but I did not want my partner and myself to become victims, too."

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Anonymous Answer

I do believe I am cautious and smart in intense situations. In situations that others find intense or highly stressed, I usually keep a calm and clear mind in the heat of the moment so I can think of a solution to the problem. By keeping a clear, calm mind, I can think of an answer that will solve the issue and keep everyone safe, but also stay cautious to the point where I don't endanger myself either.

General

Firefighter Mock Interview

Being a Firefighter is more than just facing risks; you have to be cautious and smart. Do you consider yourself to be cautious and smart when dealing with intense situations?

35Firefighter Interview Questions & Answers

1.Why did you want to become a Firefighter?

2.Have you, or anyone you know, lost their home in a fire?

3.How have you prepared yourself to remain calm and react effectively at emergency scenes?

4.What is the most important trait a Firefighter must possess?

5.How do you resolve a conflict with a coworker or supervisor?

6.Do you enjoy working with other people?

7.How well do you get along with other people?

8.What have you done to prepare for a career in the fire service?

9.Tell me a little bit about your Firefighter training.

10. Besides the risk of death, what do you consider the least appealing part of being a Firefighter?

11.What makes a great Firefighter?

12.What makes you passionate about being a Firefighter?

13.Being a Firefighter is more than just facing risks; you have to be cautious and smart. Do you consider yourself to be cautious and smart when dealing with intense situations?

14.Besides fire, what risks are there when fighting a fully involved residential structure fire?

15.What type of person would you find most difficult to work with?

16.Knowing the area you serve is very important. Would you inspect newly constructed buildings (to learn the layout), on your own time?

17.Why do you want to work for this city's fire department?

18.What are your personal hobbies?

19.What would you do if you witnessed a coworker treating another coworker poorly?

20.How would you handle a citizen that criticized the fire department to you?

21.Would you be willing to raise money outside of work for the fire department?

22.In what area could you improve as a Firefighter?

23.If you saw a coworker taking advantage of the fire department, stealing, etc., what would you do?

24.What was the biggest mistake you made at your previous employment? What did you learn from it?

25.Where do you see yourself in five years with this department?

26.What can you contribute to this fire department?

27.What can you tell me about our fire department's ALS program?

28.Do you consider yourself a team player?

29.If you are asked to perform a task that you are unfamiliar with, how do you respond?

30.Two company officers give you conflicting orders on the scene of a structure fire. How would you respond?

31.Our department requires a pre-employment criminal background check. Is there anything from your background that would give us reason not to hire you?

32.What is your greatest strength as a Firefighter?

33.We require all Firefighters to have and maintain a current Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers CPR certificate. Are you currently certified as a BLS Healthcare Provider?

34.Our department performs random drug testing on all employees twice a year or if they are involved in an accident. Do you have an issue with submitting to drug tests when asked?

35.This concludes our interview. Do you have any questions for me?