2026 Worcester District Fire Chief Sole AC w/ECT&E

2026 Worcester District Fire Chief Sole Assessment Center with Experience/Certification/Training & Education (ECT&E)

Candidates for this examination must be employees in one of the following Massachusetts Fire Departments. Please read the below department listing carefully. Departments and eligible titles will be listed as they are requested.

Departments – Eligible Title(s):

• Worcester – Fire Captain

This examination is being administered by the Human Resources Division (HRD) to create an eligible list from which to fill District Fire Chief vacancies in participating Massachusetts Fire Departments. Candidates must take and pass this examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.

Written Examination Date: March 18th and March 19th, 2026

Application Period Begins: February 4, 2026

Application Deadline: February 25, 2026

Examination Processing Fee: $150

Examination Information

Eligibility: To be eligible for this examination you must: (1) be an employee in the fire department for which the examination is given with permanent civil service status in the specified eligible title(s) by the date of the examination; and (2) have served in the force at least one year since you were appointed and performed the job duties of the eligible title(s)*.

A combination of temporary and permanent service from a certification can be applied towards meeting this one-year requirement.

Time spent working in the title of District Fire Chief will not interrupt the service period in your permanent position.

*If the eligible title has been lowered to the entry level rank you must have served in the force at least one or three years depending on the participating municipality.

Note: Pursuant to the provisions of Massachusetts General Law (MGL) 31 § 59, if less than two applications are received from eligible candidates, this examination will be postponed.

If the examination’s eligible title has been lowered to the entry level rank, the examination will go forward with less than two eligible candidates submit applications.

Eligible List: Individuals placed on the resulting eligible list shall be eligible for certification from such list for such period as the administrator shall determine, but in any event not to exceed two years, unless otherwise outlined in MGL Chapter 31 § 25 or the Human Resources Division's (HRD) revocation policy.

Examination Weights: The examination weights are 80% Assessment Center, and 20% Experience/Certification/Training and Education.

Departments – Eligible Title(s):

• Worcester – Fire Captain

Duties: Under the general direction of the Chief, the District Fire Chief is responsible for the supervision and coordination of personnel under their command to ensure their effectiveness and efficiency in performing their duties.

For a complete job description and list of duties and responsibilities, please contact the Worcester Fire Department.

Assessment Center: The assessment center will be conducted by a third-party vendor chosen by your municipality.

Experience/Certification/Training & Education (ECT&E): All candidates must complete the 2026 Worcester District Fire Chief Promotional Examination ECT&E Claim application online.

This is a separate application. Submitting an ECT&E claim in any way other than through the online claim process will result in a failed examination component.

Instructions and a link to the ECT&E claim will be emailed to you prior to the Assessment Center administration date.

A confirmation email will be sent upon successful submission of an ECT&E Claim application.

Statutory Preference Points: Upon submission of written proof, two points will be added to the passing score of qualified Veterans and Disabled Veterans or individuals who have 25 years of service as a member of a regular police or fire force and have passed an examination for promotional appointment in such force.

If you are qualified for both the Veteran's Preference and the Promotional Preference for 25 years of service, please be advised that two points are the maximum allowable number of points to be added to your passing, overall (general average) examination score.

To claim the Promotional Preference for 25 years of service, candidates must claim this preference in the application and either attach the Employment Verification Form for Sole Assessment Center form to the application or email it to civilservice@mass.gov.

To claim veterans preference, claim veteran status in the application and attach your DD214 to the application or email it tocivilservice@mass.gov.

For more information on veteran status refer to the Military Information section on our website.

Updating Information: Candidates are responsible for maintaining accurate contact information. Failure to keep your records current may jeopardize opportunities for employment. For information on how to update your information, visit the Update Your Account.

During the HRD review process or during the life of the applicable eligible list(s), candidates must make original supporting documentation available should the issue of authenticity arise with any submitted document copies.

Private School or Service: HRD does not recommend or endorse any private school, service, or publisher offering preparation and/or publications for examinations and is not responsible for their advertising claims.