"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."

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.

"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."