- Home
- Departments
- Fire Department
- Become a Fire Fighter
Become a Fire Fighter
Working at Chelmsford Fire Department
The Chelmsford Fire Department offers a dynamic career opportunity, and we are always seeking motivated individuals to join our team in protecting and serving the community.
Here’s what you need to know about the application process.
Civil Service Requirements
The Chelmsford Fire Department operates under Massachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title IV, Chapter 31: Civil Service. All applicants must take the Civil Service entry-level exam to be considered for employment.
For information on how to apply for the Municipal Firefighter Examination, please visit the Civil Service Information website.
Written Exam
The Written Ability Test consists of multiple-choice questions designed to test a series of abilities, such as, problem sensitivity, reasoning, and comprehension. These abilities are determined to be important to the effective performance of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Firefighter job.
The Work Styles Questionnaire is designed to assess a candidate's motivational, value-related and attitudinal characteristics. Candidates will be presented with a series of short statements and asked to indicate whether or not they agree with each statement.
The Life Experience Survey consists of a series of multiple-choice questions related to the candidate's past history and experience.
Physical Exam
The Physical Ability Test consists of a series of events simulating firefighter activities.
In general, you can apply for the firefighter exam if you are 19 years old as of the last date to apply for the exam. For Chelmsford, the upper age limit is 31 years old or younger as of the last date to apply for examination. For veterans, the age limit may be extended.
Candidates are eligible to participate each time the exam is offered, whether every two years or annually. If candidates participate in the annual cycle, the most recent test score will be used for ranking on the eligible list. A candidate could take the most recent exam, fail, and no longer appear on any eligible list.
If you have passed an entry-level exam, you can find your ranking on the active list for the municipal firefighter eligible lists. Applicant names are arranged in order of scores. Lists are updated as new information becomes available.
How the List is Ordered:
The order of applicants on the eligible lists is as follows:
- Chapter 534 Applicant – Allows an applicant to be placed at the top of a community's or a specific department's eligible list for consideration to the next vacancy
- Resident 402A Applicant – Enables a child of a police officer or firefighter to receive preference in placement on all entry-level eligible lists if the police officer or firefighter was killed in the line of duty
- Non-Resident 402A Applicant
- Resident Disabled Veteran Applicant
- Resident 402B Applicant – Enables a child of a police officer or firefighter to receive preference in placement on all entry-level eligible lists if the police officer or firefighter was permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty
- Non-Resident 402B Applicant
- Resident Veteran Applicant
- Resident Civilian Applicant
- Non-Resident Disabled Veteran Applicant
- Non-Resident Veteran Applicant
- Non-Resident Civilian Applicant
Residency preference:
To qualify for residency preference placement on the eligible list in a particular community, candidates must have resided in the "municipality for the entire twelve-month period immediately preceding the date of the examination." The appointing authority will require verification of residency for consideration prior to an appointment. Failure to do so could result in a candidate's removal from the eligible list.
For a complete listing of the definitions for eligible list, the certification order of eligible lists, veterans' preference information, visit Learn About Civil Service.