"If I were in the middle of running a call, I would tell the citizen I would be happy to speak with them after the call. I would ask the citizen what they are unhappy about and listen to what they have to say. Then, I would explain why the fire department has the policies that we do. If I could not appease the citizen, I would refer them to my immediate supervisor."

There are several things you should avoid when answering this question. First, you must avoid ignoring the citizen. When you ignore someone who has a complaint as a public servant, the person will become more critical of the department and can file a complaint, go to a local news agency, or write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. The interviewer wants to hear that you would not let it get to this point and resolve the issue immediately.

More importantly, you must avoid becoming angry or hostile with the citizen or resorting to calling them names. Firefighters must be calm and respond professionally in all situations, and the interviewer wants to determine if that is how you would react if hired.

Unless your department's policies state differently, you should also avoid immediately referring the citizen to your superior. Firefighters must have excellent communication skills and speak with those they come in contact with. If you immediately deflect any criticism to your immediate supervisor, it shows you may not be confident in your communication skills.

"I had this happen to me last month while grocery shopping with my volunteer department. My crew and I had split up to get our dinner supplies more quickly, and a citizen approached me. In a loud voice, he said he did not appreciate the fire department using his taxpayer dollars for the Firefighters to shop and that he was going to write a letter to the editor to expose the department. After he was done speaking, I calmly asked him if I could explain how the fire department operates, and he agreed. I explained that we are volunteer Firefighters and do not receive any pay and that the department does not pay for our meals. We pitch in out of our pocket to pay for our food. He had no idea how the department operated, and he apologized for not being well informed. Instead of writing a letter to the editor complaining about the department, he wrote a letter about how he and his friends always thought they paid for the Firefighters' meals and wages and were surprised to learn that their fire department was a volunteer department. In his letter, he expressed outrage that the Firefighters had to pay for their meals, and he felt the community should be more supportive. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome and how he changed his tune after being better informed."