Fire Department Hiring Guide
a technical writing project by MEME4

Creative brief

The buyer added updates to the brief. Read them.

Business Name

FDE

What do you do?

I make useful products for emergency responders and people who want to be emergency responders.

What is your industry?

Firefighting and emergency response. This manual will be in the hiring space.

Describe your audience

My audience is:

USA based
Greater than 80% male
Age 18 to 32 years old
30-45k per year average salary in wildly varied employ.
In college, some college, or up to 4 year degree.
Looking for a different lifestyle.
Tend to be "type A" and value results and action over prolonged discussion.
Interested in the fire service as a lifestyle/career.

What 3 things would you like to communicate to your audience?

1. Exactly what and how to prepare for the firefighter exam in professional US departments.

2. A realistic program for success in getting hired that accounts for typical human foibles like procrastination, lack of discipline, and lack of personal planning.

3. My sincere desire for the success of people that use my products.

How do you intend to use this technical writen piece (print, web, etc.)?

I will offer it in print and downloadable forms.

What are you instructing the reader about?

How exactly to prepare for fire department hiring exams in the US.

Do you have a title for this piece?

No. I have a blog called "gethiredbyfire.com" to get an idea.

Do you have section titles or a table of contents?

Introduction-this will be the intro to the fire testing process. It will include how to properly fill out apps and how to produce a great one page resume. It should be about 10 pages long and include a sample resume.

The Written Test -This is already complete, but i will ask for 5-10 pages of content regarding the trend towards using "personality profile" based questions in the testing process.

The Oral Board Interview/ChiefsOral Board-thirty or less pages of content based off of the top questions typically asked in oral board interviews.

The Physical Agility Test-20 pages of content.

The Psych/Medical Exam/Background Exam-15 pages of content.

Glossaries to include:
List of US fire departments with Name/Address/Phone/Website.
List of US fire schools with same.
List of Emergency Medical programs (EMT/Paramedic) not attached to US fire schools with same.

List any information that MUST be included

Introduction-
The outlook for fire jobs in the next ten years.
A description of the overall hiring process.
How to fill out an application.
How to create an excellent one page resume, with sample.

The written test-
Add approximately 5 pages of content on the newly used psych. component of written tests that includes the type of questions asked, what test givers are looking for in answers, and sample correct answers.

The Physical Agility Test- An introduction to the physical demands of the job. A description of the CPAT examination and typical physical demands of these exams. How to prepare for the exams to include exercise and nutrition. A preparation workbook.

The Oral Board Examination- An introduction to the oral board examination. A general discussion as to how to prepare for it whether its live or recorded. A preparation guide using a list of the most commonly asked questions, how to best prepare answers for them, and samples of successful answers.

The Psych/Medical Examinations-An introduction to what these exams are all about (hint: exclusion of potential "problems") This section will be dominated by the psychological exam, its questions, and how to (and not to) answer them. It should include interview material from an expert in the field who administers or has administered these exams. The medical exam section will simply be a discussion of what is involved and what medical issues may preclude one from becoming a firefighter.

Glossaries-
As noted.

What character, tenor or spirit do you want to convey?

It should be as if the learner has a highly knowledgeable senior member of the fire department standing beside them guiding them through the whole process. This person is kind but firm and knows the process inside and out.

What is your required length in words or pages for this written piece?

90 or less pages of written content and 3 lists.

Do you want to include any additional info?

I will help writers awarded with location of reference materials. I may be able to provide existing materials on the subject matter for research. The writer (team) will be required to seek out and conduct at least one interview for content. I will require graphics/photos only as needed in the physical agility section of the manual. All content must be original. I will require certification that content hasn't been plagiarized in any way. I will require full copyrights.