According to retired Battalion Chief Dennis O’Sullivan, “The oral interview gets you the job! This is where you putt for dollars. Understand one very important thing here. If I’m on you’re interview panel and your my kind of guy or gal, I will fill in some of the blanks to make up for your short comings. If you start off without establishing this natural bridge and being a know it all ass, I will never fill in any of your shortcomings. This is human nature.”
This became crystal clear at an interview when
a lateral candidate was asked how he would throw a ladder. After explaining how he would
remove the ladder from the rig and the procedures to raise it, he went blank when they
asked him where he would place the ladder.
Then, one of the panel members said, “Little
Jack Horner sat . . .” The candidate smiled and remembered that ladders are placed in
the corner of the building.
Captain Paul Lepore, author of Smoke Your Fire Department Interview, wrote: As an evaluator I am not looking for a candidate to answer the question exactly like I would. I do have a preconceived idea of what I am looking for, however, if you show me a different and reasonable way of solving a problem I will accept it.
That’s it!
Oral Boards
What are you actually doing going to an oral
board? If you answered: selling yourself, making a good impression, and, yes, and don’t
forget to ask for the job are good. But, what you’re really doing is auditioning for
the part to be a firefighter, engineer, inspector or officer. Just like the part in a
play. Do you know your lines? Do you know your part? If you went down to a local college
to audition for a part in the community play, you have to know your part and lines wouldn’t
you? Right? It’s the same thing in an oral board. You have to know what you’re
going to say before you sit in the chair.
Does a Broadway play start on Broadway? Of
course not. It starts in Iowa, Miami or Connecticut. They take it on the road to try it
out, work out the script, refine and polish it up. If they create enough interest, sell
enough tickets and get great reviews from the critics, they make it to the bright lights
of Broadway. It’s the same in getting ready for your oral boards. You have to take
this on the road to get ready for your oral boards. You have to get your script down. A
script about you, not a clone of
someone else. Then, you practice, practice, practice. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse until
it becomes second nature to you. Once you do this it will be in your subconscious. That’s
where the magic takes place.
Here’s how it works:
I recently tested for the City of Denver. The written test was the first step in the process and over 2,100 people showed for the test. As I waited outside the building, I thought to myself, “Do I really have a chance at getting a job here. I have worked in the fire service for the past eight years (7 years as a military firefighter and one year paid in NM).”
This was going to be a challenge for myself. I received the results for the written and I passed. Come to find out 1,400 people failed that test. They took 757 people to the oral boards. I didn’t fare so well in Colorado Springs oral boards last year. I ranked something like 173 out of 250. After being in the fire service for eight years, I thought I knew everything needed to be hired.
I studied your Entry Level Program, used a tape recorder, and practiced, practiced, practiced! I found out quickly what I didn’t know. I went to the oral boards prepared. I as I walked in they stated 757 people were going through the boards. I tried to remain positive and just present my package. I was in and out of the interview quickly. I walked to the car and my wife asked how it went. I said, good but I’ll find out in two weeks.
Yesterday, I went to the post office to get my mail and there was the letter from the City of Denver. I was too nervous to open it. Finally I decided it was time, my rank was 14th out of 757. I couldn’t believe it. Fourteenth. WOW my total score on the board was 100.0000%. I ACED IT!!!!!! I immediately called my wife at work with the good news. She cried. Thanks Bob. — Jason
The above is from the book Becoming a Firefighter---The Complete Guide to Your Badge! www.eatstress.com