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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Human Resources DivisionONLINE EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATION/TRAINING & EDUCATION (ECT&E) Examination Title: DEPUTY FIRE CHIEFExamination Date: December 30, 2025Deadline for Online ECT&E Claim Submission: January 6, 2026, at 11:59 pmThis is the Online Experience/Certification/Training & Education (ECT&E) Claim for the Deputy Fire Chief Departmental Promotional Examination scheduled for December 30, 2025. There is no separate fee for filing this claim. Only eligible candidates who have already submitted an application and payment to participate in the Deputy Fire Chief departmental promotional examination scheduled for Tuesday, January 6, 2026, must complete this online claim.It is important that you read all the instructions before submitting the online ECT&E Claim. Failure to follow the instructions may result in a lower score. You must complete and submit this ECT&E Claim, with supporting documentation, by 11:59 pm on January 6, 2026. The online ECT&E Claim application is not complete until you have electronically completed and submitted the online ECT&E claim and received a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of the ECT&E Claim application. If you have not received a confirmation email, you must resubmit your online application prior the submission deadline, until you have received a confirmation email. If your ECT&E Claim and supporting documentation are not electronically submitted through this online portal by 11:59 pm on January 6, 2026, the claim will NOT be considered. In the event an unforeseen technological problem prevents you from successfully submitting the online claim, you must notify Civil Service at civilservice@mass.gov prior to 11:59 pm on January 6, 2026, requesting consideration of the claim, describing the technical issue, and attaching your completed ECT&E claim application and supporting documentation. NOTE: ONLY ELECTRONICALLY COMPLETED AND ELECTRONICALLY SUBMITTED ONLINE ECT&E CLAIMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. SUBMITTING AN ECT&E CLAIM IN A WAY OTHER THAN THROUGH THE ELECTRONIC ONLINE CLAIM PROCESS WILL RESULT IN A FAILING ECT&E COMPONENT SCORE.Summary Of the Online ECT&E Claim Process This is an Examination Component: ECT&E is made up of three categories and weighted as Experience 52%, Certification/Training 25% and Education 23%. In this examination component, you will rate your own work experience, training, certifications, licenses attained and education against a standard schedule. You will do so by filling out this Online ECT&E Claim. A standard schedule is a list of all types and levels of work experience, training, certifications, licenses attained, and education which demonstrate your qualifications for the examination title and for which you may receive credit toward your overall final examination score. Everything that will receive credit is included in this Online ECT&E Claim. Each section of the standard schedule is preceded by specific instructions. ECT&E credit will be scored for all candidates. You Will Rate Yourself: Complete your Online ECT&E Claim on your own and to the best of your ability. Accurate completion of the ECT&E claim is a scored weighted examination component. In order to ensure that no one receives any type of unfair advantage in the claim process, be advised that we are unable to provide individualized assistance to any candidate. Positions in the Statewide Deputy Fire Chief classification requires the ability to read and understand instructions and take necessary steps to remember and implement them. Failure to follow any instructions in regard to this examination component is cause for disqualification. All calculations of experience, certifications, training, and education claims will use the date of January 6, 2026, in order to be considered.General Instructions: Please carefully read and follow these instructions. They differ from the instructions for other examinations that you may have taken. Refer to the 2025 Deputy and District Fire Chief ECT&E Prep Guide for complete instructions and examples of how to fill out the Online ECT&E Claim. The prep guide is available on the Human Resources Division (HRD) Civil Service website a 2025 District and Deputy ECT&E Prep Guide.Preparing & Saving Your Claim: HRD recommends that candidates download and print a copy of the Online ECT&E Claim to work with offline before attempting to complete the online claim. Printed copies of your ECT&E claim submitted to HRD are not considered an officially submitted claim. As mentioned above, the Online ECT&E Claim provides you with the ability to save your work at any point and exit the claim. Up to the statutory deadline of January 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm, you will be able to log in, complete, and submit your Online ECT&E Claim. Please be aware that once it is submitted, you will not be able to alter your Online ECT&E Claim. After submission, your Online ECT&E Claim will be saved in your online account, and you will have access to download or print a copy at any time. Written requests for modification of a submitted claim must be emailed to civilservice@mass.gov on or before the deadline date, January 6, 2026, and will be added to your record for this examination component.Supporting Documentation: HRD requires the submission of supporting documentation for all claims submitted in your Online ECT&E Claim. Please attach electronic copies of this documentation (such as official college transcripts, copies of licenses and certifications, etc.) to the Online ECT&E Claim or email to civilservice@mass.gov by January 6, 2026, by 11:59 pm.Experience Claim Supporting Documents: Work experience claims in your current department must be supported with a current Employment Verification Form (EVF) signed by the appointing authority or their designee. Candidates can download and print a copy of the EVF from the HRD website at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/employment-verification-forms-for-promotional-exams. The appointing authority must provide starting and ending dates at each grade level and indicate whether this was full-time or part-time employment dates and reasons for any breaks in service, as well as any other related data. Work experience in a fire service outside your current department in the title of firefighter and/or in a supervisory rank must be supported by a letter on official letterhead with original signature of an appointing authority or their designee. For non-Fire positions in a private company, public organization, or a non-profit, a signed “Outside Supervisor Form” must be provided. All sections of the form must be completed to be awarded this time.A link to the 2025 Outside Supervisor Form is here.NOTE: If a candidate owns their own company, they must complete the “Outside Supervisor Form” listed for a private company. All part-time experience must be totaled by number of hours in for the category or it will not be credited. Listing PART-TIME work in SHIFTS will not be accepted as appropriate verification.Any experience claim that is not accompanied by supporting documentation and totaled within each category on the letter from the appointing authority or supervisor will be deducted from your E&E claim score.Military Experience: Non-firefighting military experience will qualify as supervisory experience in the Officer rank and the following Non-Commission Officer (NCO) ranks: Supporting Documentation: Army and Marine Corp: rank of Corporal or above (Note: the rank of Specialist is NOT an NCO rank, and therefore does not qualify as supervisory experience) Navy and Coast Guard: ranks of Petty Officer 3rd Class or above Air Force: ranks of Staff Sergeant or aboveFor candidates no longer serving in the military, supporting documentation must include their Expiration Term of Service (ETS) date. For candidates still serving in the military, a Commanding Officer letter must be provided in addition to the supporting documents listed above. For officers, documents must include officer rank, date promoted to each rank and ETS date.Any experience claim that is not accompanied by supporting documentation and totaled within each category on the letter from the appointing authority or supervisor will be deducted from your E&E claim score.Certification/Training/License(s) Supporting Documents: In order to receive credit in this section, you must submit a copy of the certifications issued by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, FEMA or the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications that you have passed as of the date of the written examination. Certifications of attendance will not be accepted. For all licenses, you must submit a copy of a current and valid license. Only licenses listed in the ECT&E claim will be accepted. A list of all accepted certifications and licenses can be found in the preparation guide.Education Claim Supporting Documents: Candidates may receive credit for an associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees from a regionally accredited higher education institutions in the United States; or institutions outside the United States granting degrees or degree program credits that are recognized by one of the United States regional accrediting agencies or that are transferable to a regionally accredited higher education institution in the United States. All education claims must be supported by an official transcript from the higher education institution where the degree was obtained. In lieu of an official transcript, unofficial transcripts accompanied by diplomas will also be accepted. Grade reports are not transcripts and will not be accepted as supporting documentation for education claims. Any education claim that is not accompanied by supporting documentation will not receive credit on your ECT&E claim. A list of all accepted related degrees can be found in the preparation guide.Attach Documents to This Online ECT&E Claim: All supporting documents are to be attached to your Online ECT&E Claim. Please label your documentation accordingly. If you are having technical issues, or need to adjust a submitted claim, documents can be emailed to civilservice@mass.gov. If you are emailing documents, please include your name, person identification number, and the exam title. Should the issue of authenticity arise with the electronic documents at any time during the review process or during the life of a resulting eligible list, candidates must submit original supporting documentation to HRD. Appeal Rights: Once you receive your examination score, you will have 17 calendar days from the date of the score notice to appeal the scoring of your Online ECT&E Claim to HRD. Please note that on appeal, HRD will not consider requests for credit in any category that were not originally claimed in the initial ECT&E submission. Claim Audits: After submission of your ECT&E claim AND during the life of the resulting eligible list, HRD reserves the right to conduct an audit of your ECT&E claim. Be prepared to provide copies of all supporting documentation submitted as part of this examination component to HRD or the appointing authority upon request.
