What would you do as a captain in this scenario: Your battalion chief asks you to come in his office to review your final evaluation of probation and you notice a smell of alcohol on his breath. Explain your answer.
Scenario-based questions like the one above in a firefighter promotion interview are designed to challenge your judgment, integrity, and interpersonal skills. Whether you’re facing questions about a supervisor’s misconduct or a conflict with a coworker, the key is understanding what the question is really about. Most firefighter interview scenarios boil down to two core themes: ethics and teamwork. Learning how to recognize the underlying issue — and respond appropriately — can make or break your performance in the oral board.
How do I prepare for scenario questions in a firefighter promotion interview?
Preparation for firefighter promotion interview scenario questions starts with recognizing the patterns. Most scenario questions are variations of 30 core issues — such as ethics (e.g., drinking, stealing) or interpersonal dynamics (e.g., conflict resolution, teamwork). Break each scenario down to a single keyword, determine whether it’s an ethical dilemma or a personnel issue, and rehearse a clear, confident response that reflects your integrity and leadership skills.
What types of scenario questions are common in firefighter promotion interviews?
Scenario questions in a firefighter promotion interview often fall into categories such as:
- Ethical issues (e.g., substance abuse, theft)
- Conflict with coworkers
- Public complaints or irate citizens
- Unsafe or morally questionable orders
- Crisis decision-making at emergencies
Each scenario tests how you apply department values, chain of command, and your ability to lead calmly and fairly.
How do I know if a scenario question is about ethics or teamwork?
In a firefighter interview, imagine a line down the middle of a page. On the left are ethical issues — like drinking or stealing — which require direct action and immediate escalation. On the right are interpersonal or teamwork-related issues — like disagreements or communication breakdowns — which require diplomacy, listening, and collaboration. Identifying which side the scenario belongs to will help guide your response with clarity and confidence.
Scenario-based sample firefighter interview questions
Prepare for your upcoming firefighter interview with these sample, scenario-based questions to help you feel more confident when the big day arrives.
- Tell us about yourself.
- Why do you want to be a firefighter? When did you decide on this career?
- What is the job of a firefighter? Are you qualified?
- What have you done to prepare for this position?
- What are you bringing to the job?
- Why do you want to work for this city or agency?
- What do you know about this city or agency?
- What do you like to do; what are your hobbies?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What would your employer say about you?
- What are the attributes of a firefighter, and which is the most important one to you?
How would you handle the following scenarios:
- Drinking or drugs on the job.
- Stealing on the job.
- Conflict with another employee.
- Irate citizen.
- An employee crisis at an emergency.
- Sexual harassment.
- Racial situation.
- Conflicting orders at an emergency.
- An order that could place you in great danger or be morally wrong.
- What do you say when you don’t know an answer to a question?
- Are you on any other hiring lists and what would you do if another city called you?
- When can you start if we offered you the job?
- How far do you want to go in the fire service, and where do you see yourself in five years?
- What are the quality traits of a firefighter, and which one is the most important to you?
- Have you ever been in an emergency situation? If so, tell us what you did.
- What word would best describes you in a positive and negative way?
- How do you handle conflict?
- Why would we select you over the other candidates?
- Do you have anything to add?
So, back to the question of your battalion chief. First, take off the disguise — the fact that this is your battalion chief. Dissect the question down to its simplest form: one word. What is this about? Drinking. What side of the line is this on, right or left?
If it’s on the left side of the line, what do we do? Drinking is not tolerated. Ask questions to determine if your suspicions are correct — “Are you drinking?” If so, you go straight up. “We go to our supervisor no matter who or what rank is on the other side of the table.”
Stick to your answer, no matter what. You will never be wrong.
This article, originally published in April 2008, has been updated with additional information.