A special ceremony at Branford Fire Headquarters was held on Wednesday, Dec. 14 for the swearing in of Assistant Fire Chief Brian Koczak, who officially joined the department earlier in the week.

“We are very excited to have Brian join our team,” said Branford Fire Chief Thomas Mahoney. “During his more than thirty years serving as both a volunteer and career firefighter, he has proven to be an exceptional but humble leader.”

Koczak was sworn in by Branford Fire Commission chair Robert Massey Jr. Branford’s new Assistant Chief then had his badge pinned on by his wife, Noreen. Other Koczak family members in attendance were his daughter, Caitlin; son, Owen; and mom and dad, Art and Lori.

Mahoney shared that Koczak rose through the ranks of the Greenwich Connecticut Fire Department, most recently serving as their Assistant Fire Chief before retiring to come to Branford. He holds a B.S. in Fire Science (Magna Cum Laude) and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.

Koczak thanked those gathered for the warm welcome to the town of Branford, and for taking time from their busy schedules to attend. He thanked First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove, Chief Mahoney, and the Board of Fire Commissioners for giving him “...the opportunity to serve the residents, business owners, and visitors of Branford.”

“After only my third day at work and a few informal visits to meet each shift beforehand, what has struck me the most is the professionalism, dedication, and passion that the employees of the Branford Fire Department has for providing exceptional service to the community,” said Koczak. “I observed that the men and women of the department work extremely hard to accomplish the many required tasks of this business with a small staff relative to the high volume of calls for service in Branford.”

Koczak said he looks forward to giving “...110 percent of effort to working with Chief Mahoney and supporting our department to continually improve on an already great organization.”

Koczak also thanked Human Resources Director Margaret Luberda for “...coordinating a wonderful interview and hiring process.”

Mahoney noted Koczak’s “... warm personality and sense of humor, along with his impressive training, education and list of accomplishments stood out in a pool of highly qualified candidates.”

Mahoney said Koczak is a great addition to the leadership team.

“I’m very proud of our leadership team at Branford Fire and look forward to Brian’s contributions as we continue to provide the highest level of service to our community as a leader in cost efficient emergency response, prevention, and risk reduction services,” said Mahoney.

Koczak said he is proud to be part of this community and proud to be serving with the Branford Fire Department.

“Even during my short time, I already feel the pride of being a part of the Branford Fire Department and the Branford community as a whole,” said Koczak.