or Since I was a little kid I've always wanted to be a firefighter, but now I'm starting to get nervous do to my background. I have never been arrested, charged w/ a misdeamenor or felony, or have ever done any drugs besides alcohol or the occasional cigar. However, I did lie to an insurance company when I was 18 years old. I said I was involved in a hit and run when I really hit a pillar. I also paid for sex with a striper when I was really drunk. Being that I was never convicted of these and both incidents were over three(3)years ago when I was 18, should I even bother putting this on the background? My dream dept. is the San Francisco Fire Department. I'm a 4th generation San Franciscan and the only thing I've ever wanted to do with my life is to become a SF firefighter. Does the SFFD even do a polygraph? Any help you could give me would be more than appreciated. Thank you
Community Forum
Background
Johnny, hit me w/a Private message and I can walk ya' thru it........ :eg:
To, TheCity, it says my private message is disabled. If you could e-mail me when you get a chance it would be greatly appreciated; wilki1985@hotmail.com
Thanks
© 2012-2024 FireCareers.com
Posted on 11/21/2005
by FF/PM1
First off, never lie in a background. This will lead to your demise, if caught, faster than you can snap your fingers. However, I would not volunteer any info unless specifically asked for it, but if asked, you need to tell the truth.
A standard background packet will have various questions in regards to the illegal activity you participated in. I do not know what kind of packet SFFD uses, or if they use a polygraph as part of their background process. There are usually yes or no questions in background packets regarding if you ever paid for sex illegally, or participated in any kind of fraud.
Everyone has made mistakes, understand this. Time is your best friend, the more time you place in between your indiscretions, the better off you are. And the truth of the matter is, three years is not that long of a time.
The fraud thing is the biggest part because that is an integrity issue. You know integrity? It is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching you.
All you can do is be honest about your past if asked about it and see where it lies. Every department has different standards when it comes to background checks, so even if one does not take you, it does not mean that another won't. But, if you are EVER caught lying in a background, it is all over.
Investigators will look at you as a whole. Each person is different. Just be prepared to talk about it, how you learned from it and how you will never do it again.
Good Luck!