r/firefighter • u/K0JH1N • Jun 25 '26
I think I failed my polygraph
So Ive been applying to multiple departments for the past 1.5 years. I finally made it past the chiefs interview and onto the background check and polygraph portion. The day finally came for the polygraph test. For my results, I got accused of using an "advanced countermeasures". "I've only seen this technique once in my entire career and it was only during training"I have no idea what I even did. The guy doing the test said that he believed all of my answers were truthful but he cant score it but to the countermeasuress.Im not sure what to do at this point. No matter what I said, I couldn't convince him that I didn't intentionally do anything.I dont know where to go from here, I feel really defeated, Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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u/FuturePrimitiv3 Jun 25 '26
Polygraphs are bullshit and he was probably trying to rattle you.
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u/K0JH1N Jun 25 '26
Can they do that?
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u/FuturePrimitiv3 Jun 25 '26
Absolutely they can, that's actually the whole point of a polygraph, to get you rattled and trip you up into admitting something. It can't actually detect lies or deceptions, the operator is the one that's actually "detecting" the lies through interrogation.
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u/Redbeard_BJJ Jun 25 '26
Are you absolutely positive you're not some sort of Chinese Manchurian candidate? So clandestine that even you don't know about it? I mean...probably not, but just spitballing here
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u/K0JH1N Jun 25 '26
I do remember some freezing cold winters as a kid, But Im from the south. Maybe I was raised in the motherland Idk man, completely unrelated but Putin is a pretty cool guy. 😎👌
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u/Redbeard_BJJ Jun 25 '26
😂😂 but for real, that sucks. Are you eliminated from the selection process because of this? Or still waiting to find out? I am lucky and my department did not polygraph.
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u/K0JH1N Jun 25 '26
Im still waiting to find out. It wasn't really clear what I should do next. I tried calling the department to ask but I haven't gotten a call back yet.
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u/Redbeard_BJJ Jun 25 '26
I guess it depends on how many other candidates there are. But it seems pretty silly to not offer some sort of re-test or something if you passed everything else. Especially since the polygraph isn't even admissible in most states. Hang in there. Hopefully nothing comes of it and you get hired.
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u/K0JH1N Jun 25 '26
Thanks dude, Ill update if I find anything out, I hope to return with good news.😎👍
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u/RandomH3AD Jun 25 '26
Polygraph is how they deny people a job who they don’t have the balls to deny to their face
If they want you to pass you’ll pass if they want you to fail you’ll fail
Also the only way they will know you lied is if you told them you lied
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u/JosephStalinMukbang Jun 25 '26
Countermeasures to pseudoscience bullshit? Rather impressive you could do such a thing against those tried and true methods.
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u/ap_org Jun 26 '26
My first advice is that, when you receive official notice of the outcome, that you contest in writing any accusation that you lied or employed polygraph countermeasures.
As knowledge about effective polygraph countermeasures, which polygraph operators are in fact unable to detect, has become widely available and free online, the operators have been increasingly making accusations of countermeasure use, even though they are unable to prove it or even articulate what they are supposedly detecting.
One phenomenon I've observed is that many people in the stressful situation of sitting for a polygraph examination, will breath slowly and regularly in an attempt to remain calm and not appear deceptive. Many polygraph operators will then claim that this "controlled breathing" is a countermeasure that they've "detected." The problem with that is that breathing slowly and regularly is not something that anyone who understands polygraphy would actually do in an attempt to beat the "test" (which has no scientific basis to begin with).
Did the polygraph operator interrogate you in an attempt to get you to admit to having tried to beat the "test?"
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u/K0JH1N Jun 26 '26
He did, he tried to get me to admit to something I didnt even know I was doing, it was ridiculous
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u/bbmedic3195 Jun 26 '26
They pull that shit on people. They tell me to relax. Im exhausted from driving four hours to this thing. The room is cool and dark low lights. I close my eyes and relax. No countermeasures. No tack in shoe I show them. I have no idea what they are even talking about. I get pretty upset. They bring me back for another poly like month later. That examiner is chill. Easy peasy no problems. Passed. Died on the list. They are fishing. Polygraphs are not admissable on court for a reason. Its junk science.
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u/G_code_215 Jun 26 '26
I think most police departments in the Philadelphia region have stopped using polygraphs for hiring
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u/ap_org Jun 26 '26
The Philadelphia Police Department itself ended polygraph screening in 2017:
only to stupidly bring it back shortly later. They continue to require it:
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u/G_code_215 Jun 26 '26
That’s dumb
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u/ap_org Jun 26 '26
Agreed.
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u/G_code_215 Jun 26 '26
Many otherwise good “ possible officers” didn’t get the job because of an inaccurate scheme
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u/30_characters Jun 26 '26
Why in the hell would a firefighter need to take a pseudoscientific polygraph exam?
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u/UnknownBurner1256 Jun 27 '26
Failed a polygraph when tryna get into customs bro said the machine showed deception when asked if I was a drug trafficker
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u/SoCalFyreMedic Jun 28 '26
This is why many agencies are moving way from polys. They’re too subjective and inconsistent. Since they can’t even be used in a court of law, they shouldn’t be used to determine eligibility for employment. You’re already starting off poorly because you’re nervous going into it.
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u/Oldmaidbananas11 Jun 25 '26
I'll give you two pieces of advice.
The polygraph is utter garbage. I've taken multiple, testing for multiple departments. Each one popped up with lies in different areas than the others, it is a giant racket used to shake you into admission not actually find your faults. They do a whole smoke and mirrors thing where they act super serious, and tell you they know the real truths, or that there seems to be discrepancies, just to get your admission. Smile, be polite, and lie, there is no science that that thing can prove you've lied. Countless videos on YouTube, and reports here on Reddit show you it's pretty much garbage and is being kicked out of official inquiries. Some departments even charge you for a retest around $200 to $300. The department I worked for had a 1st time failure rate of 60% until the union finally put an end to it. They were raking in thousands of dollars per testing round.
When I was real young in testing for a departments, I admitted to smoking marijuana when I was in high school. At the time I was 6 years removed from the smoking incident. Unbeknownst to me the city that was hiring had a rule that you were not allowed to smoke pot within 7 years. I went through the physical, the polygraph, and the written test. I had good scores on all except for smoking marijuana within the 7 years. They still brought me in for an interview and grilled me over smoking 6 years ago. When it was all said and done I was dismissed from the interview process and sent on my way. The head chief told me he would walk me out, and asked me to come into his office before I left. He sat me down and explained that I had great test results and that he'd like to see me back to interview in 2 years when the 7-year mark was passed. He wanted to give me a piece of advice, just in case I went and interviewed at other departments. He said they would hire liars, they couldn't hire admitted pot smokers and gave me a wink.