CPS Situational Judgment and Teamwork 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You and your partner disagree about which hose line to advance during a fast-moving fire. The best approach is to:
- Each advance the line you prefer
- Defer to the officer's or established protocol's direction quickly (Correct answer)
- Argue until one of you gives in
- Pick the line nearest the truck regardless
Correct answer: Defer to the officer's or established protocol's direction quickly
Time-critical fireground decisions follow command direction and protocol rather than prolonged debate.
Question 2: A community member approaches the station angry about a past response and demands an explanation. You should:
- Tell them to file a complaint and walk away
- Listen respectfully, stay calm, and direct them to the right contact (Correct answer)
- Defend the department aggressively
- Refuse to discuss anything
Correct answer: Listen respectfully, stay calm, and direct them to the right contact
Calm, respectful public interaction preserves community trust and routes concerns appropriately.
Question 3: During overhaul, you spot a smoldering area your officer already declared clear. You should:
- Say nothing to avoid embarrassing the officer
- Respectfully point out the smoldering area immediately (Correct answer)
- Put it out without telling anyone
- Wait until the next inspection to mention it
Correct answer: Respectfully point out the smoldering area immediately
Rekindle prevention depends on promptly reporting any remaining hot spots, regardless of rank.
Question 4: A teammate seems emotionally shaken after a difficult call involving a child. The supportive response is to:
- Tell them to toughen up
- Check on them and encourage use of peer support or CISM resources (Correct answer)
- Avoid the topic entirely
- Joke about the call to lighten the mood
Correct answer: Check on them and encourage use of peer support or CISM resources
Supporting a struggling teammate and pointing them to peer support protects mental health and crew cohesion.
Question 5: Your crew arrives first at a structure fire with reported occupants but only enough staffing for one task at a time. You should:
- Begin all tasks at once with the crew you have
- Prioritize based on size-up and request additional resources (Correct answer)
- Wait for backup before doing anything
- Attempt rescue alone immediately
Correct answer: Prioritize based on size-up and request additional resources
Limited staffing requires prioritizing actions by size-up while calling for more resources.
Question 6: A coworker asks you to cover for them by signing off on a training session they did not actually complete. You should:
- Sign it since they are a friend
- Decline and explain that falsifying records is not acceptable (Correct answer)
- Sign it but warn them not to ask again
- Report nothing and just avoid them
Correct answer: Decline and explain that falsifying records is not acceptable
Integrity requires refusing to falsify training or safety records.
Question 7: Mid-incident, command radios a new assignment that conflicts with what your officer just told you face-to-face. You should:
- Follow the radio order without telling your officer
- Clarify with your officer to resolve the conflict before acting (Correct answer)
- Ignore the radio and follow your officer only
- Choose whichever order is easier
Correct answer: Clarify with your officer to resolve the conflict before acting
Conflicting orders should be clarified through your chain of command before you act to avoid dangerous confusion.
CPS Situational Judgment and Teamwork 3
You and your partner disagree about which hose line to advance during a fast-moving fire.
The best approach is to: