By Jonah Frangiosa
The Eagle-Tribune
GROVELAND, Mass. — Fire Chief Robert Valentine is stepping down from his duties in Groveland after the expiration of his EMT certification surfaced during a bid for a job in Rowley.
Groveland Town Administrator Rebecca Oldham said officials were informed by Valentine on Monday that he would be “unable to fulfill his duties,” effective immediately. She added that the town has not received formal notification regarding his departure.
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In Valentine’s absence, Oldham said, deputy chiefs Daniel Briscoe and Richard York are in charge of the Fire Department.
Valentine could not be reached for comment by The Eagle-Tribune.
Valentine’s departure comes about two months after he unsuccessfully sought a position as fire chief in Rowley.
In a May 20 meeting with the Rowley Board of Selectmen, Valentine was questioned about his credentials and experience. His resume reflected current EMT certification, but when the board reconvened June 1 after having learned it had lapsed, Valentine confirmed he did not have an active license, according to board Chairman Sheri David.
David said Valentine presented them with a Rhode Island EMT certification, which was determined to have expired as of Dec. 31, 2021.
Further documenting the lapse is a memo submitted to selectmen by Town Administrator Deborah Eagan, who said that when during the interview process she requested a copy of Valentine’s certification she was emailed the Rhode Island credentials.
In the memo Eagan wrote that the document appeared to have a handwritten letter “B” in the license number and did not include an expiration date.
“Because the card did not look right to me, as it was missing this critical information, I searched his license in the state of Rhode Island database and found that it was expired,” she wrote.
The Rowley Select Board ultimately voted to appoint Topsfield fire Lt. Daniel Veinot as the town’s next fire chief.
Valentine’s employment contract with the town of Groveland, signed in February 2025, provides an annual salary of $100,415 for fiscal 2026. He was sworn in as chief in 2019, with nearly four decades of experience in fire service at the time.
The Groveland Select Board is expected to discuss the official appointment of an interim fire chief at its next meeting, Monday, Aug. 3.
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