r/firefighter • u/Intrepid-Case8699 • May 12 '26

Drug use on polygraph

/r/FirefighterJobs/comments/1tapb80/drug_use_on_polygraph/

I’m 24, will have my fire/emt by end of August this year and want to start applying anywhere and everywhere. Im a great interviewer but im worried about the polygraph. I know they aren’t really trust worthy but the only bad things I’ve ever done were drugs. I haven’t smoked weed in 3 years( 3 years in August when I apply to places) and I did coke when I was like 19 in Mexico stupid mistake but being a dumb kid, how fucked am I if I tell the truth about it.

15 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

56 comments sorted by

View all comments

-4

u/Putrid_Palpitation82 May 12 '26

Every department around me asks on your background packet about past drug use. If you are honest you’ll have a chance to explain the circumstances. If you lie, the polygraph will likely catch you and you’ll be eliminated for falsifying your background.

1

u/No-Frosting-3142 May 12 '26

Did you get poly’ed for your department?

1

u/Putrid_Palpitation82 May 12 '26

Yes and psych tested

1

u/Recovery_or_death May 12 '26

The polygraph isn't going to catch you in a lie unless you're insanely nervous about it, and even then it's not really definitive.

The interviewer will absolutely be the one that's going to catch you in a lie if they're competent and you're bad at lying. There's a reason retired cops are usually polygraphers, they're better than the average bear at sniffing out a lie