Firefighter Pre-Employment Poly Soon:CQT

[George W. Maschke]

so then what are questions such as is the room blue... and are examinees always supposed to lie to these???

That's an example of an irrelevant question, and a truthful answer is expected. See Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector for a detailed explanation of polygraph procedure.

[1904]

the alien people were very welcoming...

so then what are questions such as is the room blue... and are examinees always supposed to lie to these???

"Is the room blue?" - Is an Irrelevant Question (IQ) aka a 'Known Truth'
question. IE - you are obviously sitting in the room, so you know whether its
blue or whatever colour. Your answer to that Q will be a known truth to both
you and the examiner.

However, it sounds more like a VSA IQ than a P/G IQ.
VSA IQ's and CQ's (as practised by VSA only examiners)
are generally bordering on the ridiculous.

Lastly, I think you are simply having a bit of fun here.
Methinks you are an examiner.

[PussyLiquor]

No no guys... I am no examiner... I am trying to learn as much about the poly as possible because after reading georges story and many others I decided to support the movement toward the obliteration of these terrible devices!!!!

All three polys I have taken... 2 serious... once practice with no consequences I have beat... but only barely. I want to learn more. I could swear that on my first (administered by a state LE agency for a sworn position) I heard him tell me to lie to the color in the room to see how my lies look on paper.... you guys are telling me the opposite... please explain

[Administrator]

Off topic replies have been moved to This Thread

[jkf1007]

took a polygraph for an opening with a local fire department.  the results showed a deception which was not true!  this info was included in the Civil Service Commission's meeting minutes which were posted on-line.  are they allowed to do this?

[George W. Maschke]

took a polygraph for an opening with a local fire department.  the results showed a deception which was not true!  this info was included in the Civil Service Commission's meeting minutes which were posted on-line.  are they allowed to do this?

How did this come about? Did you have an appeal hearing before the commission?

[jkf1007]

Poly was part of the pre-employment testing.  the minutes listed applicants that were to be removed from the eligible list due to "deception on the polygraph."  minutes were posted on-line

[George W. Maschke]

jkf1007,

It seems highly inappropriate to me for a civil service commission to publicly brand job applicants as liars in this manner. (Whether it's legal is another question, the answer to which I do not know.) Of course, it's inappropriate to begin with that applicants for any job should be required to "pass" such a thoroughly discredited and invalid "test" as the polygraph to begin with. This is an issue that you might want to take up with your city representatives and the local news desks of newspapers, radio, and television stations in your city.

[nopolycop]

took a polygraph for an opening with a local fire department.  the results showed a deception which was not true!  this info was included in the Civil Service Commission's meeting minutes which were posted on-line.  are they allowed to do this?

I thought the poly was allowed for only law enforcement and national security purposes, not firefighters.

[George W. Maschke]

I thought the poly was allowed for only law enforcement and national security purposes, not firefighters.

The federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 incudes a blanket exemption for federal, state, and local governments. So any state, county, or municipal agency can require polygraph screening of any and all employees, unless otherwise restricted by law (for example, under Minnesota law, state and local agencies are prohibited from polygraph screening of applicants and employees).

[G Scalabr]

The federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 incudes a blanket exemption for federal, state, and local governments. So any state, county, or municipal agency can require polygraph screening of any and all employees, unless otherwise restricted by law (for example, under Minnesota law, state and local agencies are prohibited from polygraph screening of applicants and employees).

George is correct as usual. Any government employee or applicant for such a positions can be polygraphed legally.

This means that barring a local union contract with a stipulation prohibiting the practice of polygraphy, even the public works guys who fix holes in the street and plumb leaky faucets can be put "on the box" for any reason at the whim of management.