Interviewing Techniques

1. 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

3. 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

4. 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 interviewee’s 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 don’t offend the parents in the process

8. Interviewer Attitude Continued • 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

9. 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

10. 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?

11. 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 interviewee’s feelings • Understand his/her need to express emotional feelings

12. 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

13. 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!

14. Techniques to get people talking Continued • Don’t 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

15. 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 don’t interrupt • Summarize back what you perceived him to communicate

16. 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

17. 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

18. Interviewing Tasks • Ground Team Leader • O-1101

19. QUESTIONS? THINK SAFETY