DRIVER'S LICENSE:

A current and valid Massachusetts driver's license is required at all times during employment as a firefighter.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:

A high school diploma or equivalency certificate issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education OR Three years in the armed forces of the United States with last release or discharge under honorable conditions

AGE REQUIREMENT:

The minimum age requirement of 19 years applies to all civil service jurisdictions. Certain civil service municipalities (under the provisions of chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws) may appoint candidates who are over age 32 and who meet certain medical and physical fitness standards. In these communities candidates will have to meet physical fitness and medical standards within 30 days of appointment to Firefighter positions, and once hired, will be tested regularly during their employment to be sure that they meet certain medical and physical fitness standards.. More information about medical and physical standards testing will follow.

*Lynn has accepted chapter 32 and has no upper age requirement.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION:

The State Civil Service exam is held every two years. Information on these exams can be found by: visiting the Personnel office at Lynn City Hall (781-598-4000) in  addition by contacting the Department of Personnel Administration, 1 Ashburton Place, Boston MA (617-727-3777) The next exam should be in the Spring of 2006

YOU MUST TAKE THE WRITTEN EXAM IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR APPOINTMENT AS A FIREFIGHTER. * There is a Preparation Guide, which describes the examination in more detail. Applicants will be sent a written letter on where and how to obtain one.

 At the examination site, applicants must present a current valid photo identification with their signature, such as a current motor vehicle operators license.
 

1.    VETERAN'S PREFERENCE

                                                    Definition of a qualified veteran

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 4, section 7, clause 43, a veteran is an individual whose (a) last discharge or release from wartime service, as defined below, was under honorable conditions and who (b) served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States for not less than ninety days active service, at least one day of which was for wartime service.

 

Wartime Service	Applicable Dates	Requirements
World War II	9/16/40 - 6/25/50
Korean	6/25/50 - 1/31/55
Vietnam	2/1/55 - 8/4/64	At least 180 days active service
Vietnam	8/5/64 - 6/4/76
Lebanese Peace Keeping Force	8/25/82 - withdrawal	Receipt of campaign medal for service from Lebanon
Grenada Rescue Mission	10/25/83 - 12/15/83	Receipt of campaign medal for service
Panamanian Intervention Force	12/20/89 - 1/31/90	Receipt of campaign medal for service
Persian Gulf	8/2/90 -	Closing date yet to be determined

 

 

NOTE:

A person awarded a Purple Heart does not have to meet the 90 day service requirement. Neither does a disabled veteran, who is, by definition, a veteran who has at least one day of wartime service and who has been certified by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a wartime service connected disability of at least 10% and for which he is entitled to receive compensation. Applicants wishing to claim status as disabled veterans will get the opportunity to claim such at the test site with further instructions to follow.

If you are claiming veteran's preference and if your eligibility for veterans' preference has not been approved before by this division, you must submit a copy of your DD form 214 (Release From Active Duty) in order to receive proper credit. Your notice to appear for the examination will indicate whether or not you are already classified as a veteran. If not, you will need to submit your DD Form 214. Qualifying service must have been in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States. Please note that active duty exclusively for training in the National Guard or reserves does NOT qualify you for veteran's preference.

2.    PREFERENCE FOR THE CHILDREN OF CERTAIN POLICE OFFICERS/FIRE FIGHTERS

The son or daughter of a Police Officer or Fire Fighter employed in Massachusetts who was killed or died of injuries received in the performance of duty, or who was permanently disabled as a result of injuries received in the performance of duty, is entitled to certification preference under the provisions of Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1985.

3.    RESIDENCY PREFERENCE

If "residency preference" is requested by a municipality, applicants who have resided in that municipality, for the entire twelve month period immediately preceding the date of the examination are entitled to be placed on the eligible list for that community ahead of any nonresidents. Applicants who have had a break in residence or have moved from one community to another within the twelve month period preceding the date of the examination will not be entitled to claim resident preference in any community. You will be asked to fill out a residency preference list form at the test site.

 

*All employees of the City of Lynn must become residents of Lynn within 6 months of hire and remain residents at all times during employment.

4.    RACIAL/ETHNIC PREFERENCE

 

Due to a Federal decree, African-American (Black) and Hispanic applicants are given certification preference in certain communities, whether or not they are residents of those communities .

 

As of the printing of this notice, the following communities are included in this consent decree: Attleboro, Boston, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Duxbury, Foxboro, Holbrook, Holyoke, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, New Bedford, North Adams, Norton, Pittsfield, Randolph, South Hadley, Springfield, Westwood, Williamstown, Winthrop, and Worcester. This list of communities is subject to change. The definition of Hispanic, for the purposes of the decree, includes any person born in a Spanish- speaking country or any person who grew up in a household in which the predominant language spoken was Spanish.

*Lynn is not at this time under a Federal consent decree.

5.    SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS

If a position in a municipality requires that a Firefighter be an Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Technician- Intermediate, or Emergency Medical Technician- Paramedic, the local appointing authority may request that competition for that position be limited to persons who have such skills. For eligibility on this basis, you may submit a copy of your current certificate (issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health , Office of Emergency Medical Services) at any time during the existence of the eligible list. On the date of the examination, you will have the opportunity to register as a certified emergency medical technician. You will need to supply proof of possession of a current certification as an Emergency Medical Technician at the time of hire.

 

*Lynn requires all new firefighters to be Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) before being hired.

6.    SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION FOR BILINGUAL FIREFIGHTERS

If a position in a municipality requires that a Firefighter Be fluent in a second language (such as Spanish, Vietnamese, Laotian, Khmer, Haitian Creole, or Chinese), The local appointing authority may request that competition for that position be limited to persons who have such skills. You will have the opportunity at the test site to indicate the foreign languages in which you are fluent. You will need to prove your language fluency at the time of hire.
         

 

MEDICAL EXAM:

Civil Service requires you to pass a medical exam and a physical agilities test.

*Lynn requires that you pass a medical examination, a psychological evaluation, a drug test and the PAT before you are appointed as a firefighter.
 

CHARACTER:

Before being hired as a firefighter most communities conduct a thorough background investigation as well as an oral interview. A candidate's employment history, criminal history, driving history, credit history, education experience and maturity are all considered in employment to a responsible public safety position.

*No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be appointed as a Firefighter. A candidate may be disqualified for evidence of character clearly unsuited for public safety services.

SMOKING PROHIBITED:

Firefighters hired from the eligible list resulting from the examination are prohibited from smoking tobacco products at the time of and at all times after appointment, even off duty, according to Chapter 41, Section 101A, of the Massachusetts General Laws.
 

ACADEMY TRAINING:

Some communities require formal firefighter training.

*All candidates hired as full-time Firefighters for the city of Lynn are required to attend and successfully complete the 12-week basic recruit training conducted by the Massachusetts Fire Academy as well as the Lynn Fire Department's in-house training program

DUTIES:

A Firefighter works under supervision to perform firefighting, rescue, hazardous material, and medical duties in protecting the lives and property of individuals and our community. A detailed job description is available at Fire Department Headquarters, 725 Western Ave.

*The work schedule in Lynn is 42 hours a week. It consists of 2 ten-hour days, then 2 14-hour nights followed by 4 days off.

SALARY:

Each jurisdiction sets its own salary for Firefighter. Questions about salary should be directed to the appropriate city, town or agency.


 

 

Minimum Qualifications    -    How to Apply    -    Selected Preference    -    Additional Considerations