Remembering Brunacini: Paying it Forward

Not too many days ago, a dear friend and mentor passed on to his reward. It was my great personal good fortune when the late Alan Brunacini took me under his wing many decades ago. I guess he saw something in me that escaped my bosses in the Newark, NJ, Fire Department. For this I shall be eternally grateful.

Over the years Bruno and I worked together on a number of different projects. Each of these improved the general efficiency and well-being of the fire service. It was such a joy and a privilege to work at the right hand of the master. He was a visionary. He did not just think outside of the box—he threw away the box and built his own.

I can recall back in the 1990s that one of the questions which I had to answer during my oral examination for deputy chief involved Chief Brunacini. The state civil service exam asked me to provide the 18 points of being a good fireground commander from Brunacini’s text Fireground Command. I had memorized them alphabetically, so it was quite easy to recite them back to the examiner. I can recall saying to a friend a couple of days before the exam that I hope they would ask the 18 points question because it was one that he and I had taken to heart. And ask it they did. I ended up earning a grade of 97 on that exam.

In his classic text, Chief Brunacini laid out all of those acts, actions, and activities which he believed to be essential to the proper performance of the duties and responsibilities of a fireground commander. It is my hope to do something of that nature during this visit with you.

It is my intention to create a list of those things that I believe will allow us all to carry on the legacy of this great man. It might seem presumptuous of me to do this, but I am going to share those things which I observed in the world, garnered from associates, and observed first-hand:

Show up—I cannot recall the number of times I heard Chief Brunacini utter the phrase “show up.” I am of the opinion that he was using this phrase a long time before the phrase “phoning it in” became popular. He believed that each of us needed to be present and actively engaged in whatever task it was that we had been charged to do. So show up.

Do not hang around with negative people—It is my opinion that Bruno was a firm believer that negative energy was a commodity that hung in the air around some people. Perhaps you recall his quotation where he stated that you should never hang around someone named “Burn ‘em Down Burns.” I have long agreed with Chief Brunacini on the need to maintain a positive attitude. Not hanging around with negative people is one good way to help you maintain a strong, positive attitude.

Trust your troops—You are only as effective as a leader as your troops are effective in performing their duties. Therefore it is critical for you to develop your folks and encourage them to succeed. This is best done by example. Bruno taught me to live those things I wished my people would do. In this way, people will know what you expect and how you wish for it to be done. Long ago, I discovered that if you do not trust your people they will not trust you. Let me suggest that you must be a supporter and encourager of your troops. Trust them.

Train your troops—I can recall Chief Brunacini speaking to the importance of training as a fundamental element of success in fire department operations. Perhaps you recall his statement that you should tell people what to do, equip them to do that job, train them to do that job, get the heck out of their way, and then tell them how they are doing. Far too many people in all parts of the world find it hard to step back and let their folks do the work for which they have been trained. Bruno was a strong proponent of trust and verify.

Listen to your people—One of Chief Brunacini’s greatest strengths was his ability to sit quietly and listen to the ideas that were put forward by his troops. He taught me that listening to your people will allow a wide array of ideas to come out into the open. Once the ideas have seen the light of day they can then be used, modified, or adapted to the identified needs of the organization. I have long thought that I have only so many ideas within the confines of my brain. He taught me that paying attention to other folks can lead to a much broader array of ideas, which can improve the success level of your organization.

Give the credit to your troops—More than any other person with whom I have ever interacted, Chief Brunacini taught me the importance of letting those who perform the work get the credit for their efforts. I enjoy thinking back to the many times over the years when great new ideas for fire department operations came into the fire service from Phoenix. Bruno always let those who created the idea bask in the glory of their efforts. We always knew that it was the “Brunacini Environment” that allowed these many successes to grow and prosper. He shared and that is what I am suggesting you must do.

Don’t be that bad boss—One of Chief Brunacini’s great legacies has evolved from the concept of looking at the reason for poorly performing fire departments as coming from the failure of those at the highest levels. Like all of you, I have enjoyed his "bad boss" interviews, lectures, and classes. Perhaps one of his greatest pieces of advice was “don’t be that bad boss.” My friends, each of us can carry on Bruno’s legacy by working hard not to be that bad boss.

Be nice—This simple concept seems to be totally alien to far too many people. Bruno encapsulated the “Golden Rule” into a simple précis. Since most people like to be respected and treated nicely, that is how they should interact with others. So he continually urged us all to be nice. I urge you to carry on his legacy by being nice to other people. It is really that simple.

Support fire prevention—Bruno was an advocate for fire prevention. He felt that no one would be hurt by those fires that never occurred. Resources and effort put into fire prevention programs have paid dividends that can never be measured. However, when you review the fire death and injury statistics over the past several decades, you can see a downward skein, which many like Chief Brunacini attributed to efforts in the area of fire prevention. Let me urge you to support the fire prevention efforts in your community.

Be an advocate for sprinklers—Many remember Chief Brunacini’s Blue Card program, with his emphasis on taking care of Mrs. Smith, and a wide range of ideas and efforts that have made the fire service better. Not as widely known was his advocacy of the installation of automatic fire sprinkler protection. He knew from his engineering background that the early application of water at the seat of an incipient fire would hold it in check (or extinguish it) prior to the arrival of firefighting forces. Like Chief Brunacini, you should enter the battle for the installation of automatic fire sprinkler protection.

Make each person you meet a new friend—Each of us in life has a choice to make when we meet new people. You can make them a friend, or you can create a new enemy. I don’t know about you, but I am of the opinion that I already have enough folks out there who do not like me. Far better to increase the number of people we like and who like us. Each person Bruno ever met was made to feel comfortable in interacting with him. That is how you make a friend. Make them feel comfortable. Please work hard to make each person you meet a new friend, I know I am going to try.

My friends it is up to each of us to remember Chief Alan V. Brunacini in our own way. It is important to carry on his good works by making them a part of our personal toolkit. Let me close with three thoughts taken directly from Chief Brunacini’s obituary: