Interviewing Techniques

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Interviewing Techniques

• Developed as part of the National Emergency
  Services Curriculum Project

2
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

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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

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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

5

Interviewer Attitude Continued

• 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

• 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
  interviewees permission can help, but should not
  be a requirement

6
Interviewer Attitude Continued

• 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.

7

Interviewer Attitude Continued

• 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 dont offend the parents in
  the process

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Interviewer Attitude Continued

• Leave the mission operating base telephone number
  and the interviewers name with the witness and
  ask them to call in if they recall any other
  helpful information.
• This lets the interviewee
• know that you are interested
• in additional relevant
• information

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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

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Guidelines for conducting an interview

• Introduce yourself and state the exact purpose of
  the interview, but dont 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?

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Guidelines for Conducting Interviews Continued

• Start with non-threatening questions. It helps
  in two ways
• Reduces tensions between the interviewer and the
  interviewee
• Shows you care about the interviewees feelings

• Understand his/her need to express emotional
  feelings

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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

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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!

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Techniques to get people talking Continued

• Dont project an end to the interview

• 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

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Techniques to get people talking Continued

• To probe an area of interest (particularly a
  touchy or sensitive area)
• Restate words that the person just used, but
  dont interrupt
• Summarize back what you perceived him to
  communicate

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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

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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

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Interviewing Tasks

• Ground Team Leader
• O-1101

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QUESTIONS?
THINK SAFETY