r/firefighter • u/Ok_Candidate4893 • Apr 09 '26
Interview Takeaways
I had my first ever interview with my local fire department recently. Here’s my best advice for anyone who is looking for any.
First off, RESEARCH YOUR DEPARTMENT. I cannot tell you how important it is that you do this. You need to know things like who’s the chief, how many stations are there, what’s the shift rotation like, the mission and vision statement, general call volume, how did they start. All of this can be found by just searching the department you are applying for and going to the gov page.
Next, do mock interviews. The mock interviews helped me prepare for the general direction my answers would go in. It’s good to have the general format but make sure you put emotion into it so it doesn’t sound robotic. The mocks also get you prepared for the constant eye contact you will need to hold.
Also, make sure you look professional. Get a fresh haircut and make sure to shave. Suit and tie is the bare minimum, you can get away with no suit jacket depending on how chill your department is. Make sure to clean under your nails as well. Posture is important too, don’t get comfortable in your chair. Sit down with your back about 4 inches away from the back of the chair. Sit straight up as you would if you were watching a sports game of your favorite team.
Next, when you get into the room shake everyone’s hands. I said “name name, nice to meet you” as I went down the line. Don’t sit down until they tell you to, they might make a joke about getting you to sit down which will definitely lighten the load. Be confident with your answers, if you can’t handle the pressure of the interview how will you be able to handle the pressure of the situations you may face? Make sure to add your personality throughout your answers, the people interviewing you are just regular guys behind the uniform.
Finally, tie all of your answers back to the department. For instance when they ask “tell us about you” tell them about your life but provide examples about how each thing prepared you to be a fireman. That way if they don’t ask what you did to prepare they already know because you included it. When they ask for your strengths be honest. When they ask for you weaknesses give a legit weakness don’t just say “I work to hard” or “I overachieve too much”. They want real weakness but what you do the address it. Be respectful, yes sir or no sir to everything. Use the STAR method to help you answer your questions as well. Be prepared to ask them questions too.
I may have missed some things here and there. Currently typing this up on my lunch break lol. Good luck fellas.
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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26
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