Before my involvement with the fire service began in 1993, I worked for the George H.W. Bush administration as a personal travel aid to the secretaries of Education and Labor. During the ’92 presidential campaign, I accompanied the Secretary of Labor to the vice presidential debate between Vice President Dan Quayle, Senator Al Gore and Admirable James Stockdale (the running mate of third-party candidate Ross Perot). The moderator of the debate was Hal Bruno.
I had never met Hal, but I certainly knew of him. He was a journalist from the “old school”—not one seeking to command personal attention, but rather the type of journalist who profoundly respected the institution. He was highly admired by his peers and politicians alike—from both sides of the political aisle I might add—because he was fair and objective. There was never a trace of a partisan slant in his reporting. Hal and I had many conversations about politics, and as hard as I tried, I could not get him to say whether he was a Republican or Democrat. And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who attempted to pry this secret out of him.
But that was Hal, and it explains why he was respected by so many in journalism and politics and, for that matter, the fire service. He never looked at an issue through a political prism. When he reported, he was seeking the facts. The only people he put in his crosshairs were those who were less than truthful to him.
Dennis Smith did himself right when he had Hal write on fire service politics in Firehouse Magazine—something Hal did for many years. His articles are the gold standard for fire service journalism. Informative, objective and thought-provoking, Hal’s articles kept an entire generation of fire service leaders attuned to Washington, D.C., politics—politics that impacted the fire service.
The fire service prides itself on its heritage, its history, its legacy. I consider Hal Bruno a fire service giant, someone who cared deeply about the men and women who have served. Journalism was Hal’s career, but the fire service was his passion.
It’s been 5 years since Hal passed away, but his legacy has not. I commend Firehouse for continuing what Hal started with his monthly articles on fire service politics. And on the 40th anniversary of this publication, I encourage the newest generation of fire service leaders to get engaged, whether at the local, state or federal levels. These articles are good food for thought. They should inspire you to get involved, to step forward and continue the work of veteran leaders who are reaching the end of their careers.
Congratulations, Firehouse, on your 40th anniversary. It has certainly been my privilege to have worked with this outstanding publication during my 21 years at the Congressional Fire Services Institute. And thanks, Hal, for being a dear friend and mentor.
