Firefighter Mock Interview

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

Question 17 of 35

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

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.

Interviewers want to see how much you know about their department and the community it serves. They want to hear the reasons you chose to apply to their fire department and what makes it unique from others. Now is an excellent time to show the interviewer that you have done your homework and learned all you could about their department.

Do extensive research on the department before your interview. Find out who the Fire Chief is, how many stations they have, how many employees, what area they serve, awards and recognition received, specialized teams they operate, and their mission and vision statement.

If you can, it is best to visit a few fire stations, take a tour, meet the fire department members, and ask why they enjoy working for this particular department. If the department allows, sign up for a ride-along and see how they operate. The more you know about the department, the better.

Describe three to five reasons this particular department appeals to you. In addition, highlight any time you have spent on ride-alongs, visiting the stations, and talking to the crews. When you show you have put extra effort into learning about the department, the interviewer will see how motivated you are to work for their department.

Krista Wenz

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

"I want to work for this department because it provides service to a community of over three million people in the area where I grew up. My goal is to go to paramedic school, and I like that your department provides ALS services. I am also interested in working with the swift-water rescue team at Station 6. I did a ride-along with the crew at Station 6 and witnessed a water rescue during the time I spent with them. They encouraged me to apply for this position and had nothing but great things to say about the department. This is the only department I have applied to because I want to serve the community where I grew up."

Krista Wenz

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

Avoid saying you do not know much about the department but decided to apply because they are hiring. When a person does not know much about the department they applied to, it shows the interviewer that they have not done their research and are not enthusiastic about working for this particular department.

Interviewers want to hire Firefighters who are passionate about working for their department. They want employees who take pride in the department and positively represent the department when interacting with the public. If you do not know anything about their organization, it shows the interviewer that you may be an unreliable and disinterested employee.

Most firefighting positions have too few openings for the number of applicants that apply. You need to stand out from the others. If the other applicants tell the interviewer everything they know about the department and you cannot, the interviewer will pass you over for another candidate.

Krista Wenz

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

"I want to work for this department because of your excellent reputation in the community and the high call volume you run. I like how progressive and diverse your department is and that you offer and encourage advancement within your organization. I want to gain experience as a Firefighter and cannot do that as quickly at a smaller department with a lower call volume. I want to work on the Urban Search and Rescue Team, and your department is one of a few in the state who offer that opportunity."

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Anonymous Answer

I just simply want to serve and protect my community. Nothing feels better than saving lives.

Amanda's Feedback

This is an answer you can build on. You can strengthen this answer by providing more detail about why you want to work with this specific department. Is it located in your hometown or in a place you want to live? Do you know others that currently work there? Does this department have a strong performance record that illustrates its passion and excellence in protecting the community?

Anonymous Answer

The department's statement to protect the property, environment, and lives while serving the community with compassion and commitment is something that strikes a chord with me. As a child, I grew up seeing the department in parades and other events but as I've grown older and can actually appreciate what a firefighter is in this city means, it makes me want to serve my community on a closer and more personalized basis.

General

Firefighter Mock Interview

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

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?