Interview Questions

Welcome to my firefighter interview question page! Being a firefighter is an honorable and challenging profession, and the interview process can be a critical step in securing a position in a fire department. As a firefighter myself, I know firsthand the importance of being prepared for the interview. That's why I have created this page to share some example firefighter interview questions that may be asked during the hiring process. These questions will help you better understand what to expect during the interview and give you an idea of the type of answers that will impress the interviewers. Whether you are just starting your firefighting career or looking to advance within the profession, this page will provide you with valuable insights to help you succeed. So, let's dive in and explore some common firefighter interview questions!

Firefighter Questions

  • Tell us about yourself. 
  • Why do you want to be a firefighter? 
  • What can you tell us about ___________ Fire Department? 
  • Why do you want to work for this city/agency?
  • If you were asked to choose a hero, who would it be and why?
  • What is the job of a firefighter?
  • Are you qualified?
  • What makes you the best candidate for this position?
  • What is customer service, and how does it affect us in the fire service?
  • What does equal opportunity mean to you?
  • Describe teamwork. 
  • What do you like to do?
  • What are your hobbies?
  • What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
  • What would your employer say about you?
  • What are the attributes of a firefighter?
  • What is the most important one to you?
  • What do you think you will dislike about this career?
  • What will you bring to this department?
  • What does diversity mean to you?
  • How does it affect us in the fire service?
  • Have you participated in an activity, which is important to your community?
  • What three words describe your personality?
  • Have you ever been in an emergency situation? Tell us what you did.
  • You are at an off duty party and see your officer using drugs. What do you say or do?
  • How would you describe sexual harassment?
  • An all male department hires a new female firefighter. You only have one bathroom at your station. How should this problem be handled?
  • What does affirmative action mean to you?
  • What do you think the mission statement should be for our department?
  • What have you done to prepare for this position?
  • What would you do if you witnessed a fellow firefighter placing items from a private residence in his or her pockets?
  • Your Captain asks you to retrieve an axe from the engine. As you approach the engine, a Battalion Chief stops you and asks you to retrieve a ladder. What do you do?
  • You are part of a crew on the engine company that responded to a fire. Once on the scene you saw that the building looked abandoned and the roof looked like it was ready to fall in. Your Captain orders you to pull a line to the front door and get ready to go in. What do you do?
  • Do you have anything to add? 

Fire Engineer Questions

  • Tell us how you have prepared yourself to be an engineer for ____?   
  • You notice that an engineer on another shift is continually losing equipment and he denies it is happening.  What would you do to resolve the problem?   
  • How does your job as an engineer fit into the dept mission statement?   
  • Explain, in detail, what is going through your mind while responding code 3 to an incident. 
  • What are some safety concerns when responding code 3?   
  • Give the purpose and procedure for the apparatus pump test. How do you prepare your engine for the pump test?   
  • Explain the dept policy on sexual harassment.   
  • You are an engineer at a station with a brand now trainee FF.  How would you impress upon him the importance and commitment of pubic service?   
  • You and your captain decide that one of your goals this year is to save  $1000.00 in operating costs for your engine.  How would you do this?   
  • Tell us about class “A" foam.   
  • Do you have any questions of us and would you like to make a closing statement?   
  • What does the acronym LCES mean to you?   
  • You are responding to a rescue and you notice your 4" hose self-deploys.   What would you do?   
  • Tell us how you would help your company officer develop and promote the new reserve firefighter program?   
  • Explain the two main functions of an engineer.   
  • You are responding to an incident and you are involved in an accident.  What do you do?   
  • What does the term "preventive maintenance" mean to you?   
  • A person has a complaint about one of our employees.  What needs to be done?   
  • You are pumping on a structure fire with your captain and firefighter doing interior attack.  You notice the soft suction is about to have an imminent failure and the compound gauge continues to rise. You have tried & can't get them on the radio-what will you do?   
  • Explain the benefits of ISI's in relation to the engineer position.   
  • You are an engineer in a training station with a new probationary F/F. how & what work ethics will you instill in him/her?   
  • Your station is having a problem with lost inventory, poor maintenance & care of the reserve engine. What would you do to try to eliminate the problem?   
  • How would you support & promote the physical fitness program among your peers at your station?   
  • During a monthly service check, you notice a loose universal joint on the engine. What would you do?   
  • You receive a brand new engine at your station with a box of inventory. Develop a plan of action to place the engine in service.  
  • Tell us about our hose testing procedure.   
  • What can you do to make hose testing safer?   
  • What are three things that you never do on a wild land fire?   
  • What education have you received that will make you a better engineer?   
  • Tell us what you know about centrifugal pumps.   
  • You are responding to an incident and you notice your voltmeter (or ammeter) spike and fall to zero. What would you do?   
  • What is the six-point pump check?   
  • You are laying line from a fire to a water source and have laid out all of your 4” hose to reach the water source. You cannot make the connection to your discharge. (Your only fitting used adapt to 4” hose is damaged and/or the female 4” hose is damaged.) How do you figure out which one is damaged & what will you do to solve the problem?   
  • In regard to public education, what new program would you like to implement or what existing program would you like to see expanded?   
  • Explain the differences between a Type I and a Type III engine.    
  • How would you provide superior customer service?   Describe an incident where you provided superior customer service.   
  • What would you do if you witness an Engineer harassing a Firefighter?   
  • Can you describe the recent apparatus purchase? 
  • Explain why we chose the types purchased. How do they fit into our departments needs?   
  • What skills and abilities will you bring to the position of engineer?   
  • You are responding code three and your captain asks you to drive faster than what is safe. How would you handle this situation?   
  • What reference does this dept use for company inspections?   
  • What are some of the high points of the ICS system?   
  • When is ICS activated?   
  • When do you inventory equipment?   
  • You develop a mechanical problem while responding code 3. What do you do?   
  • What are the duties of an engineer?   
  • You are assigned to structure protection. What are some safety concerns and things you may be thinking about as an engineer?   
  • What have you done to further minority recruitment in the dept?   
  • What do you see as the role of women in the fire service?   
  • How would you attack a residential structure fire with a two-person engine?   
  • What are the criteria used during wild land interface structure triage?   
  • How would you ventilate a structure fire in a dwelling?   
  • You are responding code 3 when your emergency warning lights quit. What do you do?   
  • You locate a serious safety problem with the engine. After completing the vehicle repair request, the captain tells you not to worry about it. What do you do?   
  • Your supervisor tells you to do something you know is not right. What do you do?   
  • You are driving the engine to an emergency, following the most direct route you know. Your captain tells you to turn at the next intersection, which you know takes you out of the way. What do you do?   
  • Explain how to identify light roof construction & some of the problems that may arise during fire. Where might you find these problems?   
  • You are an engineer at a new station with an old time captain who says he has seen and done everything. How are you going to deal with this when he refuses to help in any of your training programs?   
  • You are the first on scene of a Haz-Mat incident. Two 55-gallon drums have spilled and fumes are escaping. What are your actions?   
  • You are first on scene of a watershed fire. It is 100 degrees in the middle of July and the winds are out of the east at 30 mph. You have some homes to the east. What are your actions?   
  • Explain drafting procedures, step by step.   
  • What do you do when you receive new hose at the station?   
  • On a watershed fire you notice that you are low on fuel when going off shift. Where do you go to get fuel? (The proper ICS title)   
  • What are the steps of a dry prime test?   
  • What are your major weaknesses?   
  • What do you feel makes a good engineer?   
  • What does a strike team consist of?   
  • How would you determine a hazardous materials spill?   
  • Where does the engineer fit into the company?   
  • Why do you want to be an engineer?   
  • Why are you the best candidate for the position?   
  • Your captain comes to work drunk, what are you going to do?   
  • You have a LPG tanker on its side with the driver pinned in, what are you going to do?   
  • How would you handle it if you had a medical exposure while on a medical aid call?   
  • At a shift change check you determine your apparatus needs to be checked out of service.  Your captain says it will not be checked out of service.  What do you do? 
  • You are inspecting a business and find a violation of the Fire Code.  The business owner says that for the last ten years that previous fire department inspectors have found nothing wrong.  How do you handle the situation?     

Fire Captain Questions

  • Tell us about yourself. 
  • What are the responsibilities of a Captain for the dept and what have you done to prepare yourself for them? 
  • How have you gone above your regular job description? 
  • What/when was the last class you have taken? What did you learn? 
  • As a new Capt., what are your expectations of your crew? 
  • You’re a new captain at a station. What is your plan for the first Shift? First Cycle? First six months? 
  • Describe the concepts of the dept discipline policy. 
  • How would you perform a performance evaluation on one of your employees? 
  • What can you do to motivate individuals and build a winning team concept in your crew? 
  • Your engineer is leaving fuel low at shift change. The Capt. from the other shift has approached you about the situation. How would you handle? 
  • You’re a new capt at a slow station. You hear your crew doesn’t want to do target solutions. How do you handle? 
  • How do you feel about the 40 hour per week captain's jobs and the possibility you may be assigned one? 
  • What do you know about the training department? Fire Prev? Arson? EMS? 
  • How do you view your relationship as captain with the B/C? 
  • What is your definition of leadership? 
  • What is your leadership style? 
  • How have you shown good leadership? 
  • Define customer service. 
  • What is the captain's responsibility and the importance of customer service? 
  • Customer service is important in the fire service. How have you provided excellent customer service as a member of the dept? 
  • What do you feel the public's perception of the fire department is and how can a captain influence that perception? 
  • What is the Department's policy on sexual harassment? 
  • Describe the “Safe Surrender” Policy and what it entails. 
  • Give a brief explanation of the EMS air ambulance response policy, and the criteria for requesting a response. 
  • What’s the definition of a confined space? Permit required confined space? 
  • You’re first on-scene of a suspected confined space incident. What are your initial actions/priorities? 
  • (Shows a picture of a structure fire) You are Co. 1, E2 is five mins out. E3 is ten min out. You have one min to give a size up and assign your crew. 
  • You’re the IC of a structure fire. FF calls a mayday. What are your actions? 
  • You’re on-scene of a structure fire at a triplex in July. What are your actions/considerations? 
  • You are responding to a reported active shooter at an elementary school in your first-in. What are your actions/priorities? 
  • We respond to interagency incidents. Can you give an example that comes to your mind? 
  • Choose one example and tell us how you would organize the incident as the first in captain. 
  • You are responding to a traffic collision with reported fire and 1/2 acre of grass involved. Moderate ROS moving toward a structure. What are your actions/priorities? 
  • You’re working at your current station. You have a grass fire with structures threatened. What are your priorities? 
  • You are responding to a wildland fire in the State Response Area (SRA) in mid-August. The dispatch stated that there are structures involved. What will you get responding with you on initial response and what additional equipment might you order? 
  • Your first day at your new station you notice your engineer did not check out the engine and you also notice the monthlies on the apparatus have not been done in months. How do you handle this situation? 
  • Your first day at your new station, your whole crew are sporting the Yosemite Sam, out of policy mustache. Describe our mustache policy and how you would handle it. 
  • What is the biggest problem with the dept? What would you do to help fix it? 
  • You have 1 minute for a closing statement.
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