New Syosset Fire Chief Sworn In

Robert Kaplan was installed as the 50th Chief of the  this past Saturday, replacing outgoing Chief John Capobianco at an installment dinner and ceremony at the . 

"It was just a very nice evening, it went smoothly and I had been looking forward to it," said Kaplan, who had spent the past six years as a Deputy Chief and has spent 26 years as a volunteer firefighter.

Though he was officially installed Saturday, Kaplan has been Chief for past month or so. In that time, he has certainly had

"It's been a month now, and we've been quite busy," Kaplan said. "We've definitely started this term off with a bang."

Kaplan is in a very unique position, as this is not the first time he has served as a Chief. In 1997, he was Chief of the Jericho Fire Department, but he moved to Syosset later that year and became involved with the department. 

Kaplan admitted that he didn't realize he was the 50th Chief until just before the ceremony, and said he hopes to continue the proud tradition of the department. 

"I'm hoping over the next two years to continue growing the department, the EMS divisions," Kaplan said. 

The ceremony also included the installation of 3rd Assistant Chief Douglas Share, 2nd Assistant Chief Mark Mianulli and 1st Assistant Peter Silver. Capobianco received numerous awards for his dedication and service to the department and the community.