It was a day that I had hoped would never come: On Oct. 15, 2017, the fire service lost an icon and a mentor to many. The passing of Chief Alan V. Brunacini marks the end of one era and the beginning of another.
For more than 50 years, Chief Brunacini led the American fire service on a tireless pursuit of fireground safety, command and control, customer service, and defined leadership at all levels. As we remember his legacy, we begin a new era—an era in which we are now armed with the teachings, writings and timeless truths that represent the words and wisdom that Chief Brunacini shared while dining with firefighters at kitchen tables, sitting on the tailboard chatting with young Booters, and speaking in classrooms from coast to coast.
The lessons are many and the opportunities are even greater. The question now: Who among us will take the necessary action to carry on this legacy?
For those standing timidly on the sidelines pondering the question, remember this: The path that has been paved was not pursued with an eye of self-gratification but rather one of selfless service. The journey took courage and immense humility. It was a journey that was not without its share of potholes, steep climbs and emotional scars. After all, those most fearing of the change were often the most relentless in their challenges and unremitting in their scrutiny.
In 1984, many years before the rise of the modern-day keyboard tactician, Chief Brunacini shared a collection of his timeless truths in his book “Fire Command.” In 2004, he expanded this list and updated a few of these classic one-liners in “Timeless Tactical Truths,” all to better prepare those among us who choose to pursue the path of leadership and change for the fire service. While each of these timeless truths provides scholarly advice, these are a few of the most memorable to me:
- Safe firefighters are smart firefighters.
- Take the process seriously—not yourself.
- Losing your temper generally represents the incipient stage of rectal-cranial inversion.
- There are no credit cards on the fireground—you’ve got to pay for everything you do at the time you do it.
- Effective communications = 1 part talking and 10 parts listening (beware of the guy whose hearing is affected by promotion).
The journey of leadership will undoubtedly bring about difficult lessons and mistakes that will amplify the resistance of those leading the opposition. Over the course of his 50-plus year career, I’m certain that Chief Brunacini was not unlike any of us; he too experienced dark days and mishaps, yet in classic Bruno fashion, his takeaway lesson was this: The treatment for screwed-up situations is revised procedures, education, training, reflection and getting to do it again.
Optimism is a critical trait for leadership success and one that Chief Brunacini demonstrated often. While I can’t say that he was an eternal optimist, I can say that in the more than 25 years I had the opportunity to interact with him, he always seemed to find the bright side of every situation.
Over the years, Chief Brunacini received many accolades for focusing on Mrs. Smith and customer service—and rightfully so. In some circles, his humble demeanor and soft-spoken tone were interpreted as a sign of weakness, but nothing could have been further from the truth.
Chief Brunacini’s character was a true reflection of leadership. His influence was not measured by the decibel level in which he spoke nor the tone in which he communicated; it was his common-sense approach and his fact-driven insight that gave him the ability to captivate the masses.
True leaders have a unique way of communicating the obvious, and Chief Brunacini was no exception. He understood that the most precious asset of any organization is its people. And while Mrs. Smith will forever be a part of his lasting legacy, a timeless truth that I’m certain he would ask us to never forget is that bosses must always take care of the people who are trying to make them look good—and smart bosses make it as easy as possible for them to do so.
May you rest in peace, chief, and may your legacy forever be remembered.
