Know the Job Questions Flashcards
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up just outside of the city in Caledonia and then attended McMaster University, living in the Westdale neighbourhod for 4 years while obtaining a bachelor’s degree and playing on the Varsity Football Team.
Right after graduating, I completed the first steps towards a firefighting career, completing my Firefighter 1 and II course, obtaining an EMR cert and DZ license. I was lucky enough to receive a job offer on a provincial wildfire crew in Alberta, where I worked for two seasons before receiving a crew leader job in my last year there. Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to be hired by the North Bay Fire Dept, where I am currently working as a Firefighter.
These career opportunities have allowed me to live in very different parts of the country, allowing me to meet, live and work with people from all walks of life. In addition, in my time off I have spent a lot of my time travelling across Canada and the world, experiencing a variety of cultures and broadening my perspectives.
I have a huge appreciation for the outdoors, spending much of my time off hiking, biking, running and camping. In addition, I am passionate about physical fitness and athletics, coming from a varsity athletics background. I really enjoy spending time at the gym, reading researching strength and c
I am someone that goes all in, but works hard to retain balance in life.
My name is Jack Richardson and I grew up in a small town in South Western Ontario, now I split my time between various locations in Alberta and Ontario due to my employment as a Wildland Firefighter. This allows me to visit countless places and people across the country, learning new things and having new experiences. Travelling is something I enjoy and plan to continue throughout the rest of my life, as I find that meeting people from all walks of life broadens my perspectives. I am passionate about sports, being a former Varsity Football Player at McMaster University, and also continuing to share that passion by coaching high school football and hockey. Aside from firefighting and organized sports, I enjoy the outdoors and fill my free time with activities such as biking, hiking and fishing, all of which contribute to both my mental and physical health while building relationships with family and friends.
What have you done to prepare yourself to become a firefighter?
Because becoming a firefighter has always been a goal of mine, I have been preparing both directly and indirectly for years.
Following years of dedication to my football career, I enrolled in an NFPA certificate program, achieving my Firefighter I&II as well as HazMat Operations certifications. Above and beyond that I have acquired my DZ license and First Responder certificates. I thoroughly enjoy training and acquiring new skills and look to take advantage of any learning opportunities that I can. For example I am enrolled to upgrade my First Responder to Emergency Medical Responder at the end of this month and have taken courses in Mental Health First Aid. I also take advantage of any additional training offered by my current employer, receiving certificates in Incident Command System, Chainsaw Operations, Radio Operations, Leadership and more.
Aside from traditional education, I constantly look for opportunities to prepare myself to be a firefighter. This includes taking jobs such as a wildland firefighter, where I have learned fire suppression skills, teamwork, communications and how to work under pressure, or working as a Patient Transfer Attendant, which broadened my interpersonal skillset and introduced me to the medical care side of the job.
Why do you want to be a firefighter?
I have wanted to be a firefighter for as long as I can remember. Other than a brief period in which I thought I could be a professional football player, this is the only career that I have ever desired to have. I grew up surrounded by the fire service, with my dad being a volunteer and my grandfather by a career chief of a volunteer department. Seeing what these two and the others around them got to do inspired and excited me, driving me into this career path. I remember watching them pull out of the hall in the trucks and dreaming of one day being able to be a part of that. As I became older I realized that aside from all the excitement that comes from the job, it was an amazing fit for my personal desires and traits. I feel that the opportunity to work as a team in order to solve any problem that arises - wether that is someone’s home on fire, a medical emergency or a dead battery in smoke alarm - is unmatched. I personally find enjoyment in fixing things, wether it is a mechanical issue that requires me to work with my hands and tools or a complex problem that requires a lot of thought and knowledge. The role of a firefighter would provide me those opportunities day in and day out.
Being someone that has always been a part of teams, wether that is sports or at work, I thrive in this sort of environment. I work best when I must be accountable to others and when they return that accountability. There is also the aspects of trust and camaraderie within a team that help to develop relationships and bring the best out of everyone.
The ability to truly serve the community and be a role model for exemplary public service even in the most difficult situations is something that I strive for.
Firefighting provides a unique opportunity to be a lifelong learner, as there is constantly more knowledge or skills available to be acquired, which is something that excites me. I am someone that is constantly looking to improve myself and develop new abilities.
I desire a career that could be different and exciting each day I show up to work. I see firefighting as a career that is consistently different in the day to day but also constantly evolving on an overall scale.
Describe the job of a firefighter.
A firefighter has a unique and varied job. Due to the nature of the work required by a firefighter, they must be able to follow instruction, policies guidelines and procedures. A firefighter must also be able to communicate effectively, work as a team player and have exceptional problem solving abilities. All of these traits are required to effectively complete emergency tasks such as fire suppression, rescues, hazardous materials mitigation, medical response and auto extrication. The job of a firefighter is not only to respond safely and effectively to emergencies, but to complete a vast array of non-emergency tasks. These include constant training and education, maintenance of equipment, vehicles and facilities, as well as fire prevention, inspections and public education. All of these roles, both emergency and non-emergency serve the goal of the fire department, which is to protect lives and property while minimizing environmental impact.
What is the primary goal of the fire department?
The primary goal of the fire department is to protect lives and property while minimizing environmental impact. This goal is accomplished through a variety of disciplines ranging from fire suppression, rescue, medical and hazardous materials response. Prior to emergency response, public education, fire prevention and inspections are carried out to mitigate potential hazards before they arise. Overall the fire department strives to serve the community and solve any problems that arise.
What is the most appealing aspect of the fire service?
This is a tough one for me because there are honestly so many aspects that have drawn me into becoming a firefighter. To narrow it down, I really do thrive in a team environment and see the fire service as the ultimate team. I do feel passionately about providing service to the community and being a role model for others. I thoroughly enjoy working with my hands and problem solving, and being a firefighter provides the opportunity to work with various tools and be faced with a variety of challenges on a daily basis. The ability to be a lifelong learner and constantly develop new skills, as well as to advance my career is unique to the fire service. Overall, I feel that nearly every aspect of the fire service appeals to me, which is my reasoning for seeking a career with this department.
What is the least appealing aspect of the fire service?
As much as nearly every aspect of the fire service is appealing there are downsides to every profession. To me the most concerning aspect is the mental and physical toll that the career will take on a firefighter. As a first responder, firefighters are exposed to difficult and dangerous situations, which can create critical incident stress issues. There are also the physical dangers, which can include immediate injury or long-term health effects. The positive side to these concerns is that the more we educate ourselves on them the better we are able to mitigate them. Programs such as R2MR and peer support allow firefighters to better decompress and take control of any psychological that may arise through their career. In terms of physical hazards, PPE, knowledge of building construction, decontamination techniques and limiting exposure to carcinogens is improving the safety and lifespan of firefighters.
Characteristics of a good team member
Being a good teammate is one of the most important aspects of being a firefighter, as we must live and work together. I believe that the single most important trait of a good teammate is their ability to put others before themselves. A good teammate will make sacrifices for others, for example choosing to do the less desirable task in order to make it easier for others. Their first concern will be the safety or wellbeing of others and they will work hard to maintain them. An often overlooked aspect of being a good teammate is positive moral, which creates a better working environment and increases the effectiveness of any team.
Why is teamwork so important in the fire service?
Teamwork is so important in the fire service because the operations that we are tasked with are simply impossible to effectively complete alone in many cases. It requires multiple individuals to work in sync in order to suppress fires, provide medical care, perform rescues and even carry out station duties. Firefighters are often in calculated risk scenarios, in which they rely on their crew to remain safe, therefore requiring the highest level of trust in your teammates.
What kind of problems may arise at a fire station and how will you minimize them?
Due to the nature of living and working together in close quarters for 24 hour shifts, the same problems that would arise in any shared living scenario could arise. These, however, could be exaggerated by the fact that firefighters are also working together in often high-stress environments. I think the problems that could arise would revolve around sharing spaces, such as clashing personalities, not cleaning up after themselves, not carrying their fair share of the workload, disagreeing on tactics or having negative attitudes. I think that the best way to mitigate these issues is to always retain a positive attitude and show initiative when it comes to completing tasks. This includes always cleaning up after yourself and others. In the end it comes down to respecting those that you live and work with, as if everyone respects one another, problems should be minimized. Those that do arise can be thoughtfully sorted out and relationships can remain intact due to the mutual respect for one another.
What will you bring to the department?
One of the greatest parts of the fire service is the diversity of the people that it attracts. Everyone has a different background and a unique set of skills. I have a proven ability to work safely and effectively as part of a team in high stress and physically demanding environments that I have built throughout my career as a wildland firefighter. I have developed resourcefulness and the ability to think through and solve nearly any problem that arises, as well as the tenacity to get the job done. This career has also proven my ability to operate under the chain of command and communicate effectively, both in person and through portable radios. Aside from these transferable skills I am very proficient with a variety of hand and power tools and understand water delivery systems, hose lays and pumps. I also have a Bachelor’s degree in Geography, which I completed while representing my school as a student-athlete which demonstrates my discipline, time management skills and critical thinking abilities. Through both university and other courses, I have gained a base understanding of topics such as mental health, leadership, public administration and diversity. My previous employment as a patient transfer attendant has developed interpersonal and patient care abilities, allowing me to better serve and empathize with individuals of the public requiring help. I have also worked in building maintenance jobs alongside tradespeople, learning the basics of electrical, plumbing, construction, HVAC, alarm and sprinkler systems, therefore providing me with a better understanding of the buildings that I could be fighting fires in and therefore improving the safety and effectiveness of myself and my crew.
How will you maintain good relations in the fire station?
Due to the nature of living and working together for 24 hours at a time, maintaining good relations is a key to success in firefighting. I think the most simple yet important ways to maintain relations are to always bring a positive attitude, respect others and always be willing to work hard. I feel that I have demonstrated these qualities time and time again in every aspect of my life, be it work, school or sports, and I plan on continuing to act in this manner.
While on probation, what will you do with your spare time?
I see the time between calls, training and other tasks as an opportunity to either learn, improve myself or accomplish something that needs to be done. For example always finding something to clean, maintain or repair is a great way to keep operationally ready. I would take every opportunity possible to study for my written or practical exams, ask questions and try to learn as much as I can from senior firefighters. I would also use this time to familiarize myself with all of the equipment we may use, even if I am not assigned to a particular apparatus that day.
What are the duties of a rookie firefighter?
I realize the amount of people vying for a firefighting position and how hard one must work to achieve their goal of becoming a firefighter, but that work will only increase once working as one. The investment both in terms of time and money that a fire service puts into training a new firefighter is immense and that investment should be returned by the firefighter. The main duty should be to learn every aspect of the job and become proficient in the tasks they are expected to perform. This involves staying current with all training material, becoming familiar with all equipment and techniques and always being hungry to learn. A rookie firefighter must also be willing to take on any task assigned, from cooking and cleaning to providing the public with tours or being involved in charity outreach events.
What does a typical day look like?
A typical day would involve arriving at the station and immediately beginning to prepare and inspect my ppe, including my scba. It would then involve the same process with my assigned apparatus and all of the equipment on it. Ensuring that everything we may need is functioning and ready to go is essential, as we could be dispatched to an emergency at any time. This is also an opportunity to speak with the outgoing shift, to see what calls they had and if there are any areas of concern in terms of equipment or incidents. It would also be a time to note any potential hazards, events or changes such as road closures, storms or public events. Station maintenance such as cleaning could then be carried out, as could training, pre-incident planning, public education or fire inspections.
