This question comes from a recent Fire Captain interview and addresses discipline. Discipline is a very common question in fire officer interviews. This question and over 80 more are covered in detail in our Fire Officer Interview Ebook.
What is the role of a Captain in disciplinary actions within out department?
Key talking points: In order to answer this question you need to know your department’s policy on discipline and progressive discipline. Different levels of discipline are applied by different individuals. It is important to stress that a Captain can still be active and supportive in the process even if the level of discipline has exceeded his authority.
Example Answer: A Captain is a vital part of the disciplinary process within our department. There are many issues that can be addressed by a company officer before they reach a higher level. This is desirable because the ultimate goal of discipline is to correct an undesirable behavior. This begins with counseling done by the station Captain. If counseling does not correct the problem, then we move to the next step in the progressive discipline process, which is a written warning. This document is drafted by the Captain and then signed by the subordinate and the Battalion Chief. The next step in the process is leave without pay or demotion. These are both authorized by the Deputy Chief or the Fire Chief. While a Captain can not apply these levels of discipline, he can provide support to the upper command staff. The final step in the process is termination. This step is authorized by the Fire Chief. A Captain’s role in the entire process is very important. The goal is to stop problems before they happen by establishing clear expectations and maintaining a well organized and disciplined team. When problems do occur, a Captain must be proactive in attempting to correct the undesired behavior.
This is an excellent question and a great response. This question and over 80 other Fire Captain interviews are covered in our Fire Officer Interview book below.