Would you be willing to raise money outside of work for the fire department?
Fire departments often hold fundraisers and other events to raise money for the department. Firefighters are asked to volunteer their time for the good of the department. The interviewer wants to see your dedication to the fire department and your willingness to serve the community. Fundraisers could include crab feeds, barbecues, 'fill the boot' drives, and volunteering at burn camps. While these are not mandatory for most departments, if you tell the interviewer that you would not be willing to raise money outside of work, the interviewer will think you are an unreliable and unmotivated employee and may pass you over for another candidate.
Most Firefighters are willing to help the community and the department however needed. The interviewer wants to see that you are enthusiastic about serving the community. Explain that you are willing to raise money for the department in your free time. If you have experience volunteering with other departments, use those experiences as examples. If you do not have Firefighter experience and have not participated in fundraisers for other departments, describe any other volunteer work you have done.
"Yes, I am willing to volunteer to raise money for the department. I know how tight budgets can be and that we need to do what is necessary to raise money for new equipment. I have volunteered many times over the past two years with my volunteer fire department holding fundraisers. We were able to raise 150,000 for extrication equipment that we didn't have. It is a gratifying experience seeing the community come together in our support."
If you do not want to help the department on your days off, the interviewer will question your dedication to your profession. When responding to this question, avoid saying that you would not be willing to volunteer on your days off or that you would not participate in any fundraising activities unless you were paid. If you are only willing to help if you are paid, the interviewer will feel that your heart is not in the right place to be a Firefighter.
Whether a Firefighter is on duty, off-duty, or retired, they are always a Firefighter. The interviewer wants to hear that you are willing to help the community and your department outside of work, showing that you have strong morals, ethics, and a willingness to serve.
You should also avoid saying that you have no volunteer experience. Most Firefighters have volunteered in some capacity, whether as a volunteer Firefighter, sports coach, assisting with the Special Olympics, or working a First Aid station during a local marathon. If you have zero volunteer experience before working with fire departments, it would be a good idea to find a way to volunteer in your community.
"Yes, I would be happy to raise money for the department on my days off. I am particularly interested in raising money with the 'fill the boot' drive and have participated with my local volunteer department for the past three years. It's always fun to see how excited the community is to help and meet community members while raising money. I have also participated in two crab feeds and a chili cookoff to raise money for the fire department to buy new turnouts, and those were also very fun and successful."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I would be very willing to raise money for the department outside of work. Volunteering is a great way to associate with the public and gain experience/skills in helping them, as well as give the department a good reputation for the town/city to see. It also provides extra money for the department to buy more/better equipment and extra training in different specializations of firefighting.
Amanda's Feedback
This is a very strong answer! You've done a great job responding in a way that shows you see the value in volunteering as a means of connecting with your community and raising money to improve the fire service through training and equipment improvements.
Anonymous Answer
I will wholeheartedly donate my free time to raise money for the fire department. I have strayed away from doing so now that I am older and have a family, but up until I was 18 I would volunteer my time at food drives, with special needs children, United Way, and church-organized dinners for families in need. Donating my time has always been something that I have enjoyed doing.
Amanda's Feedback
This is a strong answer because it demonstrates that you have a history of giving back through volunteering and enjoy doing so. You can enhance this response even further by explaining that you're happy to volunteer because it helps raise funds needed to obtain new equipment or training that helps keep firefighters and the community safe, which is a very worthy cause.
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