13 Tough Firefighter Interview Questions and Answers

The firefighter interview is well recognised as being extremely challenging. Candidates not only have to demonstrate that they have the skills and qualities needed to be a firefighter, but they must also demonstrate that they match the fire service’s competencies and values – also known as the PQAs.

In this article, we will look at the 13 toughest firefighter interview questions that are guaranteed to come up in your interview! 

These questions are ideal for UK fire and rescue service interviews and also worldwide firefighter interviews. They have all been verified by our panel of interview experts!

Why do you want to be a firefighter interview question answer:

There are several reasons why I want to be a firefighter. The first reason is the fact that within this role I will have the opportunity to make a difference to the community in which I am serving, and I find that very appealing. So being a firefighter is not just about fighting fires. The role is much more diverse than that. For example, I will have the responsibility to educate people and I will find that appealing. I understand that the fire service educates people to make sure that they have a working smoke alarm to make sure that their family is safe by having a fire escape plan. And I understand that you educate people based on seasonal events, such as having summer barbecues, bonfire night and also Christmas fire safety. So the role really is diverse, and I find that very appealing. I also want to work in a diverse team. As a firefighter, I will get to work with people who have different strengths, different opinions, different viewpoints, and I will get to learn from them. And again, I find that very appealing. I also want to be a firefighter because I will get to work for an organisation that has a proud history of achievement. I often see the fire service in the news and the way you conduct yourself demonstrates that you are an organisation that has very high standards. I am somebody who has high standards too, and I believe the role of a firefighter fits in with how I operate and how I function as an individual and as a team member. So those are the main reasons why I want to be a firefighter and I believe I have the necessary skills and qualities and experience to excel in the position.

What skills and qualities do you have that will make you a good firefighter answer:

Over the years, I’ve built up numerous skills and qualities that I believe will make me a competent firefighter. I am a very good communicator, so I have effective communication skills, and this is not just in how I communicate with purpose and clarity, but I am also a very good listener, too, and I understand as a fire fighter that you’ve got to be good at listening to instructions – and that’s another skill that I have, is being able to follow instructions carefully. As a firefighter, you have a responsibility to always operate safely, not just for your own safety, but for your work colleagues’ safety, and the safety of the public. I will always follow instructions carefully and make sure that I keep up to date with my own personal and professional development. I also am somebody who will always act with high degrees of integrity and composure and that’s important as a fire fighter is to always remain calm whenever you are dealing with members of the public because they are going to be looking to you for guidance and to make sure that you help them. So other skills and qualities that I have are the fact that I can work well as part of a team and I understand that while you are working as part of a team that you need to support your team members, you need to follow instructions carefully, and you also need to support any weaker members of the team because you will only ever achieve your goals as a firefighter by working collaboratively. I have really good problem-solving skills and I have a track record of being able to solve problems by using a creative mindset. I’m somebody who is patient. I have high levels of understanding and I can show empathy when needed, especially when dealing with members of the public. I am a confident person. I’m also aware of the areas that I need to improve on. And I also have high levels of resilience, which I understand as a firefighter, when you’re dealing with difficult, challenging and traumatic incidents, you need to be resilient and you need to work to your team’s strengths. Finally, I am somebody who is adaptable. I am flexible and I will always take responsibility for my own physical fitness and my mental fitness.

Why do you want to work for this fire service answer:

I want to work for your fire and rescue service for a number of reasons. First of all, I have worked and lived within this community for many years, and I have a good understanding of the local area and the risks that are present to the public. And that means I can then come into the organisation and I can hopefully enhance the good work that you are already doing within the position of firefighter. I have followed you online for a number of years now whilst I’ve been waiting for firefighter job roles to be advertised, and I’ve always been impressed with the different initiatives that you put out there online on social media to the members of public to help them stay safe and also to educate them to lead safer lives. I also like the fact that you have a positive relationship with different stakeholders. You clearly have a good relationship with the local media, because I often see you in the news and in the online media promoting the good work that you do and also getting involved with different initiatives such as charity events, too. So I would say that you are an organisation that is at the cutting edge of progression. You obviously do very, very good work and you are an organisation that sets very high standards. As being someone myself who has high standards, I only want to work for an organisation that insists everybody follows the rules and procedures. They work hard and they apply the right level of standards within the work they are doing. Finally, the other reason why I want to work for your organisation is because you are an organisation that embraces change positively. I have worked in many different organisations and the ones that succeed are always the ones that embrace change positively and you clearly do with all the initiatives that you are involved in and how you educate the public. So those are the reasons why I want to work for your fire and rescue service.

To successfully prepare for the train driver interview, you must prepare responses to the below questions:

1. Tell me why you want to be a firefighter?
2. What are the qualities needed to become a firefighter?
3. Why do you want to work for this fire service?
4. Tell me about time you worked as part of a team.
5. What is inclusivity in the workplace?
6. What is the most important quality needed to be a firefighter?
7. Tell me about time when you’ve demonstrated a commitment to excellence.
8. How do you cope with failure?
9. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
10. How would you deal with stress?
11. How do you think you’d react to trauma?
12. Describe a time when you helped support diversity in a team or organisation.
13. Tell me about a time when you supported change within an organisation.

Now INSTANTLY download the suggested ANSWERS to the FIREFIGHTER INTERVIEW and PASS your interview: