The Worcester Fire Department offers a dynamic career opportunity. Our members receive industry-leading training that allows them to solve a variety of problems, from providing medical aid as first responders to combating structure fires throughout the community. With a department growing in diversity and size to keep pace with Worcester's growth, this is a great time to pursue the opportunity to serve the City and its residents while earning competitive pay and benefits.
Interested candidates seeking employment in the Worcester Fire Department are required to apply online through the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance Civil Service page.
Next Scheduled Exam: At this time there are no exams scheduled. For more information, interested candidates should visit the State Division of Human Resources at www.mass.gov/civilservice.
Contact Information: 1-800-392-6178
The City of Worcester Human Resources Department offers Civil Service open examinations as the service need may require. Promotional exams are ONLY for current employees of the City of Worcester. Civil Service promotional examinations will be offered according to the departments' requests.
All the information needed to study for the written examination and prepare for the physical portion of the test (ELPAT) is available free online. Civil Service does not endorse any other courses or study materials.
After completing applications for both the written and physical portions of the exam, applicants should take time to prepare for each portion of the test in order to ensure their success.
You must be at least nineteen (19) years of age at the time of the application deadline and the City of Worcester requires applicants to be younger than thirty-two (32) as of the date of the exam. Veterans are eligible to add up to four (4) years of military service time to the maximum age limit, increasing their eligibility to apply up to age thirty-five (35) as of the date of the exam.
Yes. Military applicants who are unable to participate during the scheduled exam have the option of requesting military make up exam.
Yes, this is a state-wide exam and anyone can take the test. Applicants who have resided in the City of Worcester for an entire twelve month period immediately preceding the date of examination are entitled to be placed on the eligible list for Worcester ahead of any nonresidents.
Massachusetts law (G.L. Chapter 31, Sec. 58) permits cities and towns to ask that residents be placed on entry-level police and firefighter eligible lists before nonresidents. A "resident" is a person who has lived in the same city or town for the full year before the date of the examination. For example, if you took an examination on April 27, 2017, you would have to live in a single city or town from April 27, 2016 to April 26, 2017 to claim residency.
To be appointed to the Fire Department, the following must be fulfilled:
*There will be an interview process, background checks, employment checks and a C.O.R.I. More information can be found at www.mass.gov/civilservice.
The written exam dates can be found on the Civil Service exam site. Applications are only available online. When registering for the written exam you must also register for the ELPAT. You will receive an email from Civil Service instructing you how to schedule your ELPAT.
It does not matter if you take the ELPAT before or after the written exam. However, failure to take and pass the ELPAT will result in a failing score.
