OFAI - Firefighter Aptitude Test Ontario Situational Judgment Scenarios Questions and Answers

Question 1

You are part of a crew responding to a minor kitchen fire in a high-rise apartment.
After the fire is extinguished, a resident approaches you and angrily complains that their apartment, which is unaffected by the fire, now has a strong smell of smoke.
They demand to know what you are going to do about it.
What is the most appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Politely and calmly explain that smoke travels and recommend they open their windows to ventilate the apartment. Provide them with the non-emergency number for the fire department if they have further concerns.

Answer

Tell the resident that a little smoke smell is better than the building burning down and that it will air out eventually.

Answer

Ignore the resident's complaint as your primary job was to extinguish the fire and ensure everyone is safe.

Answer

Apologize profusely and immediately assign a firefighter to help them air out their apartment, even though the emergency is over.

Question 2

During a routine equipment check at the station, you notice a senior firefighter consistently skipping a few steps of the safety check on their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). They have been a firefighter for 20 years and have a stellar record. Which of the following is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Privately and respectfully approach the senior firefighter, mention your observation, and ask if there's a new procedure you're unaware of, reinforcing the importance of the full check.

Answer

Report the senior firefighter's actions directly to the station captain, emphasizing the safety violation.

Answer

Ignore it, assuming their experience means they know which steps are non-critical.

Answer

Wait until the next formal group training session and ask a general question about the importance of completing every step of the SCBA check, without singling anyone out.

Question 3

Your crew is cleaning the station after a long and difficult shift. One member of your team is consistently on their phone and not contributing to the work, leaving their share for others. This is not the first time this has happened. What is the most effective immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Pull the team member aside for a private, brief conversation, state that the team needs their help to finish the work, and ask them to put their phone away.

Answer

Confront the team member loudly in front of the crew to make an example of them.

Answer

Do their share of the work and hope the officer in charge notices their lack of effort.

Answer

Send an anonymous email to the station captain detailing the team member's laziness.

Question 4

While at the scene of a car accident, a civilian begins filming the incident with their phone, getting very close to the operational area and ignoring requests from police to step back. Which action is least appropriate for you as a firefighter?

Accepted Answer

Physically grab the phone from the civilian to stop them from filming.

Answer

Firmly but politely tell the civilian they need to move back for their own safety and to allow crews to work.

Answer

Notify your officer or the senior police officer on the scene about the civilian's interference.

Answer

Use your body to create a visual block of the scene while repeating the request for them to move to the designated safe area.

Question 5

You are a probationary firefighter. Your officer gives you an order that you believe is unsafe and contradicts what you were taught in training. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Express your concern to the officer respectfully and quickly, mentioning your training, and ask for clarification. If they insist, you must then follow the order.

Answer

Carry out the order without question, as respecting the chain of command is the most important rule.

Answer

Publicly challenge the officer's order in front of the rest of the crew.

Answer

Refuse to do it and walk away from the task.

Question 6

After returning from a call, you overhear a fellow firefighter telling a story about the incident to other crew members, but they are exaggerating details and embellishing their own role. Which of the following is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Wait until later and speak to the firefighter in private, mentioning that accuracy is important for reports and maintaining public trust, and suggesting they stick to the facts.

Answer

Interrupt the story and correct all the inaccurate details in front of everyone.

Answer

Let it go, as it's just harmless storytelling and good for station morale.

Answer

Immediately report the firefighter to your superior for dishonesty.