New Assistant Fire Chief Appointed In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — Brian Koczak, a 24-year veteran of the Greenwich Fire Department, was named assistant chief during the Board of Selectmen's meeting Thursday.

Koczak currently serves as the department's deputy chief. He was appointed to the position by fire Chief Joseph McHugh, who noted Koczak will bring "a lot of experience" to the role.

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"It was a hard process to pick my new assistant chief," McHugh said during the virtual meeting. "I wanted to stay internally within the department with our [candidates]."

McHugh said the candidates for the role were all highly qualified, however he ultimately decided Koczak would bring "a lot of great qualities" to the department.

First Selectman Fred Camillo commended McHugh for his appointment of Koczak, recognizing it was "a hard choice," as well as his decision to appoint someone internally.

"Keeping it in the department, I think, was a very good thing," Camillo said, "and certainly will help you get off and running, bringing a lot of institutional knowledge to the job."

Selectwoman Lauren Rabin spoke highly of Koczak and said she was pleased with a recent conversation they had.

"One of the positive aspects that we discussed was that he's also a volunteer fireman in the town he lives in," Rabin said, "and I appreciated that level of experience and the creation of collaboration and trust between our career firefighters and volunteer firefighters in Greenwich as we move forward."

Camillo said Rabin's point was "very important" and noted it was "something we've all committed to really address going forward, and Chief McHugh has been all on board with that."

Selectwoman Jill Oberlander thanked Koczak for his decades of service to the department and said she was "a strong supporter of the department and the work that they do, and the commitment of the men and women who work in the department."

Camillo and Rabin both voted in favor of Koczak's appointment. Oberlander abstained from voting, as she was not part of the interview process, but noted she would give her "full-on support to the entire department" if his appointment was approved.

Koczak thanked the board for their support and said he looked forward to starting the new position.

He will fill the role previously held by Robert Kick, who retired at the end of September after 27 years of service.

A promotional ceremony for Koczak and other department members will be held Monday afternoon at the department's headquarters.