Fire Department In-Basket

Fire Officer and Battalion Chief In-Basket Exercises

In the In-Basket section, Captain/Lieutenant members will have full access to five (5) complete In-Basket exercises. Battalion Chief members will have access to an additional four high level BC In-Basket exercises (for a total of 9). Each exercise has 10 components that are commonly seen in In-Basket exercises throughout the country. Following each exercise is a complete answer key that explains the rationale for managing each item and identifies the correct answers.

The In-Basket exercise is one of the most challenging and difficult portions of a Captain/Lieutenant and Battalion Chief fire department assessment center. One of the reasons that the In-Basket presents such a challenge is because most firefighters are not aware of the types of problems that a Captain/Lieutenant and Battalion Chief faces at the start of each shift. In addition, most firefighters do not have a method for identifying and assigning priorities to issues so that they can be addressed in the appropriate order.

Our goal with this section is to take the mystery out of the Captain/Lieutenant or Battalion Chief assessment center In-Basket exercise and teach you the skills necessary to achieve your best score in this portion of your exam. Members will have full access to our In-Basket section, which includes our custom instructional video titled, “In-Basket Exercises”. This video will teach you the secret of how to successfully prioritize the issues presented to you. It also shows you how a systematic approach will allow you to successfully manage each scenario to a successful completion. In addition to the video, Captain/Lieutenant and Battalion Chief members will have access to five  (5) in-depth and complex In-Basket exercises that we have developed. Each of the issues utilized in our exercises is typical of those used in actual promotional examinations throughout the county.

Members can hone their skills using the five In-Baskets we provide. Once they complete their in-basket exercise we show them all of the factors and actions they should have considered to maximize their score for the In-Basket they just completed.

This method, where Captain/Lieutenant and Battalion Chief members get to try the exercise first and then review what should be included in a great response, allows our members to develop the appropriate skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to achieve a high score in their assessment center.

The first step is to review the video provided to our members. Once our members have learned our system of how to successfully complete an In-Basket exercise, they will have complete access to the five In-Basket exercises. Each exercise has 10 items that must be addressed.

The Captain/Lieutenant or Battalion Chief then completes one of the five exercises, within the 60-minute time limit. Once the exercise is completed they compare their answers to the answer key we provide for each exercise. The answer key will clearly explain why an item was prioritized the way it was. In addition, we provide you with a detailed answer of how to manage each item within the exercise. When reviewing the answer key, we recommend that our members pay particular attention to more than just the correct answers. We believe there are great learning opportunities with the rationale we provide for managing each item in the order in which we do.

When a member is armed with a system of how to complete an In-Basket exercise, coupled with seeing a thorough and complete example of the exercise they just completed, we always see a dramatic improvement in their performance.

As an added bonus, Captain/Lieutenant and Battalion Chief receive access to our video, titled “Understanding Raters”. This video created just for members of AspiringFireOfficers.com provides insight into how the assessment center operates from the rater’s perspective and describes how the raters are able to effectively score your assessment center, even though they may be from an organization unfamiliar with your department.

We encourage you to review the free, sample In-Basket scenario that we have provided on AspiringFireOfficers.com. If you want to determine how prepared you are for a fire department promotional In-Basket exercise we challenge you to print the sample pages and then try and complete the exercise within the 60-minute time limit.

When the 60 minutes have elapsed, review the answer key that accompanies the exercise. We are confident that our answer key will provide you with a great deal of insight as to the depth and thoroughness of answers that are expected from a candidate and where you are in your exam preparations.

If you are like most candidates, there will be a significant gap in your answers and the answers that we provide on our answer key. Each item missing from your answer key or item that is out of order, or incomplete, means lost points in your exam score. With competition so very fierce there is little room for errors, it’s important not to leave any points on the table as it may cost you a spot on the promotional list and, ultimately, your promotion.

Click to see: Captain/Lieutenant and Battalion Chief

Captain/Lieutenant – Assignment

Captain/Lieutenant – Answer Key

Battalion Chief – Assignment

Battalion Chief – Answer Key

Chief Fedak is a Battalion Chief with the Orange County Fire Authority. Due to state conflict of interest laws, the services provided by AFO may not be offered to current OCFA employees holding the rank of Battalion Chief or lower.