Fire Fighting Instructor Interview Preparation Guide

This question is the most deciding question and most of the candidates make a mistake by answering that they have no weaknesses. Avoid listing out your weaknesses rather talk about your weakness which you have overcome. Talking about past weaknesses is a great way to answer this question. But never make up a new weakness just for the sake of answering.

Is there anything that has happened which would strain your credibility? If so, avoid mentioning such incidences. You can talk about your past mistakes and the lessons you have learnt from it. Make sure not to make it big; otherwise, it will affect the confidence of the interviewer on you. The crux behind this question is to know whether you are having the ability to learn from your mistakes and how positive minded you are.

Every fire department candidate can expect a question along these lines. The best response is to offer an honest weakness that doesn't affect your ability to do the job. As an example, John cited a firefighting candidate who described carrying a length of rope to help him improve his knot-tying skills, which had been a weakness. This kind of honesty works better than evading the question, or throwing out a generic response like, "I work too hard."

Obtain a copy of the job description from your local fire department before the interview or review the advertisement you responded to. That way, you can demonstrate your knowledge of how firefighters spend their time. For example, describe how some firefighters drive ladder and rescue trucks, while others drive tanker trucks with water for extinguishing fires. Indicate how you'd treat injured victims, write reports on fire incidents and educate the public, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests. The more knowledge you share, the more you'll stand out as a viable job candidate.

The automatic fire sprinkler system is the most widely used fire protection system today. The whole philosophy of sprinklers is based upon the premise of applying the right amount of water (as little as possible) in the right place (the seat of the fire) at the right time (as quickly as possible). Many ordinary hazard systems used to be fed directly from the town's mains, but increasingly a water tank and pumps are being installed to guarantee adequate water flow and pressure.

Types of fire sprinkler systems:

☛ WET
☛ DRY
☛ PRE-ACTION
☛ DELUGE

Relate skills and accomplishments that apply to firefighters when answering why you'd be a good firefighter. For example, tell the interviewer how you're usually fearless about taking on the biggest challenges on a job and have the physical stamina and strength to be a highly effective fireman. Most important, provide examples of how you approach problems head on or spend many hours on the job. Courage, physical strength and stamina are important attributes of firemen.

Each fire sprinkler head is rated for certain degree, depending on its application. For example if a fire sprinkler head is rated for 155 degrees, as soon as the surrounding temperature reaches 155 degrees the bulb will burst and thus engage the fire sprinkler system.

We block traffic lanes for the safety of our personnel and our patients. Blocking extra lanes keep our personnel safe when they go back to our apparatus to get more equipment and help protect the victim we are trying to stabilize. Over 25 firefighters are killed or injured each year while working at incidents on streets and highways.

A combination of an electrical/mechanical detection system, fire sprinkler heads are open and the pipe is not pressurized. When the detection system is activated water discharges through all of the sprinkler heads in the system.

A deluge fire sprinkler system is commonly installed in high-risk areas such as power plants, aircraft hangars, and chemical storage or processing facilities.

Davenport Fire Department is not equipped to fill fire extinguishers at this time. However, you can find local fire extinguisher businesses in the yellow pages to refill them.