alright, let me see if i can give you the information you seek without crushing your spirit.
mass is a civil service state. this means that you sign up for(and pay exorbitantly) the civil service fire tests. these are given once every two years. there are two parts written and pat. you have to pass both to even make the list.
the list: this will become the bane of your existence. when you take the test, you indicate your special considerations. these are emt or paramedic, college educated, previously academy trained(mass academy) and the biggie VETERAN STATUS. after you take both tests, the list is generated, but its not that simple. each CS town that calls for a list can prioritize it based on their needs. if they need medics, medics will be at the top. if they arent up to par with their affirmative action requirements, minorities will be at the top. suffice it to say that the person at the top of every civil service list in ma is the college educated, minority disabled veteran whos a paramedic(at least for the fire test).
so you've taken the test and done very well. great! you're not even close to the end of the road yet. lets say your a medic and one of your selected town needs say 3 medics. so they start at the top of the list. they will easily double down and pull at leat the top ten. they send you a card. this is an invitation to begin that depts selection process. this will include an oral board.
the oral board: ever faced a firing squad? you will sit before some combination of senior town and fire personnel and they will put on a swim cap and goggles and diver tight into your life. they will ask you any and everything you can think of and most things you cant.
if they decide your good enough to make it past that, well your still not even close. you still have drug testing, physical exam, background investigation and a fierce competition with all the other candidates.
so you got a letter from the dept that you've been extended a conditional job offer. great! but wait, you're still not done. now you get a billet at the next academy. this could be next week or in six months, but you have to be ready for either. during your wait, you will be doing work with your dept. obviously you wont be leading the attack team, but you'll be working.
the academy: 12 weeks of hell. classroom, live burns, running in your bunkers and scott. the works. its an intense three months. if you graduate, well, your getting close to the end of the road now but your still not there.
you've still got your probation to consider. this is usually a year. this is where your brothers will test you in every way possible to see if youve got what it takes. it will make everything youve been through seem like a cake walk.
if you make it through that, congratulations, your now a massachusetts professional firefighter. subject to ridicule and abuse by the residents of this fair state at frequent intervals.
well upon rereading that, it is somewhat disheartening. but thats the mass civil service process for you. all in all, it can take any where from 6 months to years and years to get on the job in a cs department up here. 6 months if your an ideal candidate. not all towns in ma are civil service. most, but not all. so getting on with them cuts through a lot of that bs, but at the same time competition is even more ridiculous for these positions.
