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Firefighter Applicant
– Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some commonly
asked questions that fire applicants have about the testing process. The top
entry-level authors in the country (Capt Bob Smith, Steve Prziborowski, & Brent Collins from Don McNea Fire School) have offered their insightful to
keep you motivated through every step in the hiring process. The first page lists all topics included;
after scrolling down, you will find each question answered by our
entry-level experts.
Good luck!
TOPICS
1.
Take any test you can
2.
Are there any easy fire
departments to join?
3.
Am I too young to get
hired?
4.
Should I move my family
to an area I want to test for?
5.
How do I prepare for the
CPAT?
6.
What are the
characteristics of a successful firefighter?
7.
What kind of job
security does a firefighter have?
8.
What is a
firefighter’s work schedule like?
9.
What can I expect on a
firefighter written examination?
10.
What is included in the
medical exam?
11.
How do I locate
firefighter exams?
12.
How do I become an EMT?
13.
How do I become a paramedic?
14.
Should I get my
paramedic certificate or my 2-year degree?
15.
Should I become a
paramedic?
16.
Volunteering while in
school
17.
Veterans taking
entry-level tests
18.
Paramedic to fire/medic
19.
Student loans
20.
What is in the heart of
a firefighter?
21.
What’s it like around
the station as a rookie firefighter?
22.
New rookies tips for
success
23.
Station visits –
is it necessary?
24.
Lateral
25.
What if you don’t
pass the medical?
26.
Pre-existing problems
27.
Recommendation letters
28.
Don’t ever say pay
or benefits
29.
Using humor in an
interview
30.
Multiple job offers
31.
Review exams
32.
Need some advice about
joining the military
33.
Background investigators
34.
Background questions
35.
Credit checks during
background checks
36.
Preliminary background
questionnaire
37.
Beware of the
questionnaire
38.
Are corrective lenses
allowed?
39.
Eye surgery
40.
Not a regular job
interview
41.
Oral Board Skills: Are you prepared?
42.
Should I use a tape
recorder?
43.
What are the 5 nuggets
for successful job interviews?
44.
What are the 6 steps in
answering an oral board question?
45.
What do I wear to a job
interview?
46.
Stories make the point
47.
Miracle oral board tool
48.
What can I expect in the
final interview?
49.
Buttoned
50.
Watch out for the free
advice
51.
What do I wear to the
polygraph?
52.
My polygraph rests were
inconclusive
53.
What do I do next after
failing the polygraph test?
54.
Are polygraph tests
lying to us?
55.
Getting passed over
56.
Questions concerning
strengths and weaknesses
57.
I have a Class C
misdemeanor charge. What should I
do?
58.
What if I had a domestic
violence charge?
59.
Reckless driving
citations
60.
Phone messages
61.
I am at a loss of what
to do here
62.
Creating trails
63.
Getting down to the
short strokes
64.
Have you ever?
65.
Can you follow
directions?
1.
Take
Any Test You Can!
You've got to be kidding me!
I've talked to three candidates this week who
had the opportunity to take some killer entry level tests. They didn't take
these tests. When I asked why? They said, I don't want to work there, or
that would require me to move and my wife won't go, or I'm waiting for the
only department I want to work for now, or I only test in this region.
Don't tell me how bad you want this job and then give me one of these
stupid excuses.
I have several candidates who have gone out of state to take tests in
preparation for the "City they really want". Guess what? They get
offered jobs. How difficult would it be for you to turn a badge down? Guess
where they live and work now? And, it's a lot easier to get a job once you
have one. I know one candidate who went all the way to Wyoming to get his
badge. Now he's testing back in his own State of Washington.
Understand the more tests you take, the better you will be at taking
tests. Then, when the one you really want comes along, you're dialed up
ready to nail that badge.
Our thanks go out to Capt Bob Smith for his article and insight. For more information on his book, Becoming
a Firefighter: The Complete Guide to
Your Badge, and his entry level DVD/CD oral interview program
that has helped thousands of individuals to get the job of their
dreams (included in the Ultimate Firefighter Examination
Prep Package), go to our entry level fireman test products page.
Good luck!!
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
2.
Are
there any easy fire departments to join?
There are no easy departments to join; if there were,
there would be people already in those positions. Even the departments in
B.F. Egypt (technical term) parts of the state do not have easy ways to get
on.
Most of the small departments in the state are maybe even more difficult
because they require you to typically have not just EMT, but paramedic and
a state firefighter 1 certificate as well as other requirements. Why?
Because they have to and can't afford to send you to an academy. While they
may get less applicants, they typically have
higher standards. In short, there are no easy departments to get on. Trust
me, if there were, I would know about them, and everybody else would.
Now is a critical time for you if you want to get focused. You are at that
stage where you will either give up or dig your heels in for the long haul.
20 years old is not old, and in some ways, is too young to get hired in
many departments (even though we can't discriminate on age and typically
don't know your birth date or age until you're hired). Now is your chance
to finish your two-year degree and get some more qualifications under your
belt (2 year degree, 4 year degree, paramedic, bilingual, etc.), some
quality volunteer experience in ANY field - even non-fire, and most
importantly - SOME LIFE EXPERIENCE.
Don't take that the wrong way - that is what most oral boards and
departments see in young candidates, that they probably don't have much (if
any) life experience. I mean showing responsibility, having a good solid
track record at work, etc.
How many tests have you taken now? Are you scoring in the top 1%? Are you
getting chief's interviews every test? If you are not, then you really need
to also spend time working on ALL phases, especially your weaker phases of
the hiring process.
Just some thoughts, hope they help. Don't get discouraged - why let someone
else get your badge?
THANKS!
Steve Prziborowski, Captain
www.chabotfire.com
More Helpful Advice
There are no “easy” departments to get hired
on, especially not the small ones. If anything, it is easier to get hired
on the large County and/or city departments as they hire so many
candidates.
People believe they can get all of their fire science education including
the academy, AS degrees etc. and take a job on a rural department until
they get hired on their dream department. Good idea, however, these
departments have already hired out of the area candidates who took a job
from a local who was perhaps less qualified but would have stayed.
Departments are wise to this tactics, as they have lost “qualified”
candidates back to their home cities.
There is no easy way to get hired on a fire department. While a rare few
may “luck” into a job, the vast majority of candidates spend
years pursuing their goals. While
some go about it in the wrong fashion (my opinion), most take years and a
tremendous amount of sacrifice to get hired.
Many of these candidates could get hired much sooner if they understood the
testing process. Many focus more on going through the motions of getting
qualifications and certifications instead of learning about the testing
process. By default they stack so much stuff on their resume they
ultimately get hired. Ironically, the person sitting next to him in the
academy doesn’t have half of the “qualifications” and
didn’t make half of the sacrifices that said candidate did. He worked
smarter, not harder!
Bad stuff on applications
If you do not include information that is asked on an
application and it is found out later, you are out of the process!
Almost everyone at sometime has problems.
It's how you put them on the application, background forms, and
present them in an oral that makes the difference. A reasonable explanation
is what's important.
Many candidates strain their relationships, marriages and finances and do
various jobs trying to get the badge. This is understandable with the right
explanation. The oral board seldom
knows this information (this is usually covered in background), unless it
is an area that is listed on the application, i.e. driving record, arrests,
etc.
I served 5 days in Santa Rita Prison for drag racing at age 18. Yes, I put
it on my application. Because if you don't and they find out, you're gone.
In my oral board, I was asked about this. I told the panel, "Since
that incident, I have been in the army, married, have children, and have
been on my job for 9 years. I was a stupid kid. The situation hasn't
occurred again. It's hard to believe this really had happened. One of the
captains asked, "Mr. Smith are you trying to get go around this
problem and ignore it?" Here's the Nugget answer: I said, "No. If
I was trying to do that I would have never put it done on the
application." He was done with that question.
When I got my results for that test, the number placement wasn't on the
notice. When I called, personnel
told me, "Well, Mr. Smith, you're number one. Not only are you number
one, you're five full points ahead of number two!" It was having a
reasonable explanation prepared in advance that becomes your
"Nugget" answers
that makes the difference.
That question and the "Nugget" answer helped me, not hurt me. It
catapulted me past the other candidates at light speed, and did indeed help
me get my badge!
Our thanks go out to Capt Bob Smith for his article and insight. For more information on his book, Becoming
a Firefighter: The Complete Guide to
Your Badge, and his entry level DVD/CD oral interview program
that has helped thousands of individuals to get the job of their
dreams (included in the Ultimate Firefighter Examination
Prep Package), go to our entry level fireman test products page.
Good luck!!
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
3.
Am I too young to get hired??
Getting Hired
DOES Happen!
David wrote:
To all of you out there who think you're too young to get hired, guess
again. My Dept. is in the process of hiring a candidate who is 20 yrs. old.
This individual has a FF Academy and an EMT-B card and that's pretty much
it. Mo medic cert., volunteer time, reserve time, nothing! However, I had
the pleasure of sitting on the oral board for this candidate and I must say
I was truly blown away.
We were handed a very simple one-page resume which was easy to read and not
time consuming. I was very impressed by the maturity, honesty, and
basically just the overall likeability that this candidate was able to show
us. The candidate had definitely practiced and been coached on the oral
board portion of the hiring process which is the reason this person will
soon be wearing a badge. It was also obvious that the candidate took
everything very seriously and had well prepared for every aspect of the
oral interview. Even though the only work experience this candidate spoke
of was a part time restaurant job, he was able to use that to his advantage
during the interview.
The candidate moved on to the Chief's interview and must have done
incredibly well because he is soon to start our academy. This is not a
fluke or a one-time thing, it happens all the time! Great mentors in this
forum such as Captain Bob continually pound into you guys that the interview
is everything and he is absolutely right! Don't sell yourself short when it
comes time to take advantage of a golden opportunity. Visit the stations,
research the city and the dept., get a nice suit, do mock orals, ask for
help, or whatever it takes. I hope you guys feel some inspiration from this
because it is true and it does happen. Good Luck!!
Our thanks go out to Capt Bob Smith for his article and insight. For more information on his book, Becoming
a Firefighter: The Complete Guide to
Your Badge, and his entry level DVD/CD oral interview program
that has helped thousands of individuals to get the job of their
dreams (included in the Ultimate Firefighter Examination
Prep Package), go to our entry level fireman test products page.
Good luck!!
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
4.
Should I move my family to an area I want to
test for?
Do yourself and your family a big favor. Don’t
even think about moving until you get the invitation in writing that you
have the job. Never move away from family, friends, support and established
connections thinking that will improve your chances of getting a
badge. If you need an academy check
out the home study program at www.trainingdivision.com
This is not the first time I've seen this question. A candidate is invited
to the chief’s oral. He just knows they want him. He gives notice at
his job, his apartment and finds a new apartment for the city he is being
considered for. He starts packing. After the chief’s interview he is
notified to complete the medical, given the date for the academy, uniform
fitting and then the psych. He flies down to complete these items in two
days. He goes by with his wife to check on the new apartment, flies home
and waits for the mover to show up the next day.
Don’t touch that dial. There is something wrong with the psych
interview. It comes back inconclusive. They want him to retake the psych.
But the movers are on their way. I can taste that badge. I know they want
me.
A medic candidate moved his family from southern California to Seattle, so
he could be in position for the next test. Although he made the list, he
was going to have to wait until they got down to him. In the mean time the
pressures built up at home, he lost his house in California to foreclosure,
and got in a heated argument with his wife. The police arrived and arrested
him for domestic violence. This at a time when he was in background for the
next academy. Everything came to a full halt. Fortunately, in the state of
Washington, if you complete the counseling and probation program and
it’s your first offense, you can appeal the court to remove the
charge. Now a year later, this has been done. The Seattle list he was on
expired. Now it’s back to square one.
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
5.
How do
I prepare for the CPAT?
CPAT
Here are some valuable tips for CPAT from Tom Dominguez and Reed Norwood:
The secret to passing the CPAT is to be in shape with a high cardiovascular
fitness level and to know the techniques. The average time is between nine
minutes and ten minutes, twenty seconds. Try to think of the CPAT (or any
agility) as a marathon where you are trying to complete the event instead
of going for the record time. You can burn out if you are going for time no
matter how well in shape you are.
Most people who fail the CPAT fail the first event (Stair Climb/Stair
Stepper), or run out of time during the last event (Ceiling Breach). People
who run out of time at the breach and pull lost a few seconds at all the
prior event stations because they PAUSED to THINK of how to do the event or
PAUSED or SLOWED down to catch their breath.
#1 Stair Climb: No matter how hard you train for the stair stepper, your
legs are going to be like rubber after you get off the machine and start
pulling hose. The recovery time for rubber legs depends on your fitness.
Even still, rubber legs or not, you have to get moving and keep moving, and
stay moving! If you stop at anytime during the events, the clock is ticking
and you are losing time.
The tendency is that as you start wearing down on the stair stepper
machine, your pace and stride will change and that will affect your
balance. As you lose your balance, you start to wobble and the momentum of
the weight on your body increases the swaying. As the distance of the sway
increases, you will make a natural grab for the handrails. Grab the rail
(more than twice?) to many times and you are disqualified. Instead of
“grabbing the rail”, use the back of your hand and push your
self back. Adjusting your stance and concentrating will help you avoid the
“wobble”. Just like wearing a SCBA, you also have to
concentrate on your breathing.
#2 Hose Drag: As soon as you step off the stair machine, turn and face the
line that takes you to the hose pull. As soon as the proctor takes the two
sandbags off your shoulders, get moving! Pick up the nozzle and shoulder
the hose and GO! This is not the time to worry about those rubber legs or
try to catch your breath. MOVE! Go as fast as you can. Step into the box,
turn around, get down on one knee (being careful not to come down too hard
and injuring your knee) and PULL the hose, hand-over-hand as fast as you
can. That drum will give you some resistance when you turn the corner but
if you’re going at a good clip it won’t be too difficult. You
can breathe while hand pulling the hose.
#3 Equipment Carry: When you get to the saw carry, just do it! Face the
cabinet and remove each saw one at a time. Now, turn around and pick up
both saws. This will ensure that you have both saws touching the ground
before you begin moving down the line.
#4 Ladder Raise and Extension: When you arrive at the ladder raise, get
down, grab the rung and raise the ladder. You have to push the ladder up,
rung-by-rung as fast as you can. Move over to the fly extension and just do
it.
#5 Forcible Entry: Breathe, as you follow the line
and pick up the sledgehammer. Start swinging as soon as you can in short
choppy strokes. Departments may set the forced entry device at a level that
fits their needs. When the alarm sounds, let go of the sledgehammer and
move to the tunnel crawl.
#6 Search: Get in and get out! You may not move like a greased pig at the
fair but you do need to move. One candidate wrote: Here is where I lost
about 15-20 seconds. The event itself is pretty fun if you are not
claustrophobic. Be aware of the obstacles inside. I could not figure one
out, and I got disoriented and lost precious time figuring it out. Crawl
fast as there are no abrupt edges that you’ll run into. All the walls
are tapered so as long as you keep your head down you can fly through.
Doing the practice “run-throughs” will take away all doubt of
what and where the obstructions are in tunnel crawl. Always remember to stay right, and come
back to your right after an obstacle. The event is shaped in a horseshoe,
so there are two right turns. This can be a good time to catch your breath
as well in preparation for the dummy drag.
#7 Rescue: At the dummy pull, size up where the handles are before you get
there. Grab them and get going. You may feel the burn in your legs but
don’t stop. It saps your strength to have to get the dummy moving
again each time you stop. When you reach the barrel, do not make the turn
until the dummy’s knees are even with farthest side of the barrel. If
you try to pull the dummy around the barrel any sooner, it takes more
energy and it will take more time. Get over the line and let go of the
dummy and get to the ceiling Breach and Pull.
#8 Ceiling Breach and Pull: This is the event where folks run out of time
and fail the CPAT. Grab the pike pole and step in. Start pushing and
pulling with all you got! If there’s a D-handle on the pike pole put
a hand under it for increased leverage. Get a rhythm/fast pace going. An
object at rest requires energy to get it moving. An object that is moving
requires less energy to keep it moving. If those ceiling hatches are not
making lots of loud noise, you are not working very hard. You can buy
yourself some time here that you may need to finish the CPAT in time.
Follow the instructions of the proctor! The proctor will either tell you
where the line is or point to the line you are to follow. People have been
failed for not following the right line to the next event. If you were to pause five seconds at the
start and stop of every event, or to stop and breathe or think about each
event, you can lose about a minute and a half of precious time. Once this
time is gone, you cannot get it back.
You can over train by carrying extra weight in your backpack while you
train for the stair stepper. Seventy-five pounds on your back places a
tremendous amount of stress on your ankles, knees, hips and back. Practice
the event as you are actually going to do it. Work out at the same pace and
distance as the actual stair event. The stair stepper event (as are most of
the CPAT events) is based on cardiovascular fitness and endurance. It is
expected that you will be anaerobic and that is what the CPAT is attempting
to do. While strength is required, you don’t need to be an Olympic
weight lifter.
CPAT
Here are two link resources to gain information on the CPAT:
http://www.phoenix.gov/FIRE/recruit.html
http://firepat.mtsac.edu
Our thanks go out to Capt Bob Smith for his article
and insight. For more information on
his book, Becoming a Firefighter:
The Complete Guide to Your Badge, and his entry level
DVD/CD oral interview program that has helped thousands of individuals
to get the job of their dreams (included in the Ultimate
Firefighter Examination Prep Package), go to our entry level
fireman test products page. Good luck!!
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
6.
What
are the characteristics of a successful firefighter?
·
maintain effective working relationships
with superiors and subordinates
·
get along with others
·
stay calm; handle stress
·
use common sense
·
listen to others
·
be flexible
·
be self-motivated
·
be decisive
·
counsel, support and be empathic toward
others
·
work under stressful conditions
·
maintain emotional control
·
do repetitive tasks
·
work with little or no supervision
·
take charge when needed
·
determine priorities
·
have a good sense of humor
·
accept constructive criticism from others
·
be resourceful
·
handle critical decision-making under
life-threatening conditions
·
perform complex tasks under life-threatening
conditions
·
work under tight time frames
·
deal with critically injured/ill people
·
perform tasks requiring log periods of
intense concentration
·
perform under unpleasant circumstances or in
traumatic situations
·
work as a team member
·
maintain a positive attitude
·
enthusiasm
·
honesty
·
initiative
·
innovativeness
·
judgment and common sense
·
stability
·
willingness to be patient, non-judgmental
and accepting of other people
·
desire to serve and help people regardless
of who they are, where they are and what their beliefs are
·
demonstrate a genuine caring attitude toward
all people
·
must have an awareness and understanding of
differences between different cultures
·
have an optimistic attitude and believe that
the best outcome will occur in emergency situations
·
driven by strong values and ethics along
with an awareness to act upon those values and ethics
·
willing to put the best interests of the
organization above personal interests or differences
·
be able to function as a member of a team
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
7.
What
kind of job security does a firefighter have?
One of the things that we discuss in our seminars and talks
to prospective firefighters is the job security the position of a
firefighter offers for yourself and your family. Did you know that
99.7% of all firefighters ever hired are never laid off? In today's
changing economic situation, how many jobs can boast that statistic?
How many people do you know that have been working for a company for 10, 15
or 20 years and suddenly the company is bought out and their job is
eliminated? Once you have worked hard to obtain this job, it is yours
for a lifetime. You have financial security, medical benefits for you
and your family, an early retirement plan – these are all benefits
that not many jobs today can offer. The average firefighter salary
range is $50,000-$65,000 with hospitalization and a retirement plan after
25 years of service or the age of 48. How many people do you know who
can retire at the age of 48? Most people have to wait until they are
in their 60's before they can think about retiring comfortably.
Click
here for Entry Level Products Page
Click
here to review the Ultimate Firefighter Exam Package
8.
What
is a firefighter’s work schedule like?
The work schedule of a firefighter consists of two 24-hour days per
week, for an average of 8 days per month. With this schedule, a
firefighter has an average of 5 days off per week. Listed below you
will find an average month's schedule for a firefighter, with the days in
red being scheduled workdays and the other days representing days you have
off during the month.
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