1Interviewing Techniques.ppt Last Revised: 10 June 2003 Interviewing Techniques Developed as part of...

1Interviewing Techniques.ppt Last Revised: 10 June 2003

Interviewing Techniques

Developed as part of the National Emergency Services Curriculum Project


What is an Interviewing Team?

• The interviewing team is a small, lightly equipped, mobile unit used to conduct interviews to find new information and to investigate leads during a search

• Information collection should be considered one of the most important functions of a search, in that one piece of information could bring a search to a rapid close


Who to Interview?

• People in remote areas and relatively quiet suburbs tend to notice unusual sights or sounds– Forest service personnel– All night gas stations– Farmers– People who work outdoors– Persons frequenting places where people gather and

may have discussed events


Interviewer Attitude

• Professionalism in questioning citizens will do much to reveal information. Steps to take include:– Properly identify yourself as a member of Civil Air

Patrol. Wear a proper uniform and show an ID card. Photo IDs are best

– Do not give details of the mission to interviewees. Do not "put words in their mouths"

– Only give enough detail to help the interviewee recall the situation


– Let the witness tell his story in his own words and in its entirety. Afterwards you can question him about details or to establish the validity of his information

Interviewer Attitude Continued

• Use CAPF 106 and/or the Missing Person Questionnaire only after the interview is complete. Most people interviewed will not follow a form exactly to relate information

• Tape recording the interview with the interviewee’s permission can help, but should not be a requirement



– Be skeptical of statistical information given by untrained observers, such as altitude or angle of attack.

– Courtesy and patience when dealing with a witness is essential.

– Never rush a witness because he or she may leave out important information.


• If the witness is a child, question very carefully and have him tell his story several times and in several ways. – Talk to the child's parents about the child's

reliability under such circumstances– Make sure that you don’t offend the parents in the

process




• Leave the mission operating base telephone number and the interviewer’s name with the witness and ask them to call in if they recall any other helpful information. – This let’s the interviewee

know that you are interested

in additional relevant

information


Speed of Information Distribution

• Data collected must be transmitted to the Mission Coordinator or designated person as soon as possible

• Use the telephone primarily and two-way radio alternatively if it must get back, couriers may be a wise idea as well– CAPF 106 and other standardized forms facilitate

transmission of data by using the block numbers or sequenced sections instead of saying the whole phrase


Guidelines for conducting an interview

• Introduce yourself and state the exact purpose of the interview, but don’t be forceful – Try to make yourself available to the person – By forcing an immediate interview, you may frustrate a

person with prior engagements to rush and forget an important detail

• Create a comfortable atmosphere – What climate would you feel comfortable talking in?


• Start with non-threatening questions. It helps in two ways:– Reduces tensions between the interviewer and the

interviewee– Shows you care about the interviewee’s feelings

Guidelines for Conducting Interviews Continued

• Understand his/her need to express emotional feelings


Guidelines for Conducting Interviews Continued

• Know yourself and how you come across - you get back what you project

• Know what you are after and have a general plan of attack

• Prepare the interviewee for personal questions

• Listen! Listen! Listen! You will learn nothing if you do all the talking


Techniques to get people talking

• Use structured questions (questions that require only a simple one or two word response) to clarify a point.

• Use unstructured questions (questions such as why...? How about ...? What do you think may have happened? Etc.) to get the interviewee thinking and talking about the subject of interest.

• Once you have the person talking, encourage him to continue. Listen!


• Don’t project an end to the interview

Techniques to get people talking Continued

• Show acceptance - nod, uh-huh, yes..., Please continue, etc

• Silence forces him to continue– Ordinarily those being interviewed will add

additional information and it will probably be the most important information received


• To probe an area of interest (particularly a touchy or sensitive area):– Restate words that the person just used, but

don’t interrupt– Summarize back what you perceived him to

communicate

Techniques to get people talking Continued


Evaluating Information Received

• Guide the interviewee into giving you more information to either support or deny each theory that you make

• Remember, you are trying to put together a picture of what may have happened, and the information gathered is only one piece of a big puzzle


Evaluating Information Received Continued

• Do not try to analyze leads in the field. You don't have the "big picture."

• If asked for your opinion or analysis by the mission base staff- give it.

• Don't jump to conclusions, but listen to what is being said and form theories as you go


Interviewing Tasks

• Ground Team Leader– O-1101


QUESTIONS?

THINK SAFETY

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