2026 Arlington Fire Chief Sole AC w/ECT&E

Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth of Massachusetts is administering the 2026 Arlington Fire Chief Promotional Examination ECT&E for the Arlington Fire Department. The process creates an eligible list to fill Fire Chief vacancies and requires the candidate to pass the assessment center and have the proper experience/certification/training.

The examination is scheduled for December 1, 2026, with an application window from October 20 to November 10, 2026, and a $150 processing fee.

Job description

2026 Arlington Fire Chief Sole AC w/ECT&E in Statewide, MA | GovernmentJobs.com page has loaded.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Location

Statewide, MA

Permanent Full-Time

Job Number

26ArlingtonFC_ECTE

Opening Date

10/14/2026

Closing Date

11/10/2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

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

If you currently have a Civil Service Online Account DO NOT create a new account to apply for this exam.

Candidates with multiple accounts may cause delays with properly recording your application and notifications from civil service such as notices to appear, or job opportunities. If you have questions, please email [e-mail] .

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):

• Arlington – Deputy Fire Chief

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

Examination Date:December 1, 2026

Application Period Begins:October 20, 2026

Application Deadline: November 10, 2026

Examination Processing Fee:$150

Examination Location:TBD

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 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 department.

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 Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 31 § 25 or the Human Resources Division (HRD) revocation policy.

Examination Weights: The examination weights are: 80% Assessment Center; 20% Experience/Certification/Training & Education (ECT&E).

Departments – Eligible Title(s):

• Arlington – Deputy Fire Chief

Duties:Under the general supervision of the municipal appointing authority, directs the operations of the Fire Department, exercising supervision over direct reporting staff and overseeing the delivery of major municipal fire services; conducts long-range planning to determine policies, program priorities, and the utilization of resources in order to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the goals and objectives mandated by state laws, local bylaws or ordinances and departmental rules and regulations; evaluates the availability of fiscal and equipment resources, personnel, and local needs relative to the protection of life and property and the prevention and suppression of fire; directs and performs fire prevention duties including code and pre-fire inspection duties; directs, performs and reports the results of fire investigations; personally responds to fire and non-fire emergencies in order to supervise actions of fire service personnel; carries out public relations activities and prepares and disseminates news releases; plans and conducts hearings and meetings on issues of public concern; prepares and submits budget requests and administers department budget; performs the requirements of the job in an ethical manner; makes decisions in accordance with employment laws; interviews and selects personnel for promotion; reviews and negotiates contract proposals from contractors and/or vendors; and performs related duties as required.

For a complete job description and list of duties and responsibilities, please contact the Arlington 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 Arlington 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 [e-mail] . To claim veterans preference, claim veteran status in the application and attach your DD214 to the application or email it to [e-mail] . For more information on veteran status refer to the Military Information section on our website.

Supplemental Information:

Women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Inquiries may also be made to HRD, Monday through Friday, 8:45am – 5:00pm, at the following numbers:

Boston area: [phone]

Within Massachusetts: 1-800-392-6178

TTY Number: [phone]

Employer Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Address 100 Cambridge Street
6th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114