The state is not budging.
A day after city officials accused the state Division of Fire Safety of losing relevant paperwork and “erroneously” concluding then-fire Chief Frank Edwardi Sr. did not have proper training, the state said the city still has not produced acceptable documentation to recertify Edwardi as a firefighter.
On Wednesday, a state review found Edwardi’s new application for certification — submitted this week to “clear his name,” according to the city — cannot be used to recertify him. The documents included are over 25 years old, not notarized and missing a letter from the chief at the time of his training, said Lisa Ryan, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Community Affairs, which oversees the Division of Fire Safety. What’s more, one of Edwardi’s submitted certifications was from an online course, when an in-person, instructor-led class is needed.