Editor’s Opinion Ed Ballam
A new writer makes his debut with us in this issue.
Ed Boring is a retired deputy chief from the Hilton Head (SC) Fire Department, among other things. In this issue, he writes about a legend in the fire service, the late Alan “Bruno” Brunacini, the former Phoenix (AZ) fire chief.
Bruno was a seminal figure in the customer service philosophy of the fire industry. He believed that taxpayers and those who call for fire services are customers, and firefighters and first responders have the obligation to care for those clients as one might treat a customer who walks into a storefront or any other business. Firefighters have the obligation to be professional and polite and give the clients exactly what they need as efficiently as possible. It’s a great mantra for any business and, as it turns out, it is a good fit for the fire service too.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bruno a few times at fire trade shows. He was always in his signature Hawaiian shirt and always with a group of people who were hanging on his every word as Jesus to his disciples. He was that kind of guy. For more than 50 years, he shared his skills as a firefighter and his knowledge as a fire officer and was generous with his time and mentoring.
Bruno died in October 2016 but left a legacy that far exceeds his earthly years. Boring’s revisiting of Bruno’s lecture on the metaphor of delivering pizza in a cement truck caused me to think about all the other great fire service leaders past and present. And, obviously, I couldn’t help but think about my late boss, Bobby Halton. I miss him. Both men were legends, and the fire service isn’t the same without them.
Nevertheless, there are still a lot of living legends in the fire service, and most all of them are at the annual Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) next month in Indianapolis. They share their words and knowledge year after year to standing-room-only crowds. I won’t mention any legends by name for fear of forgetting some, but you know who they are and it’s evident when you see firefighters spilling into hallways outside packed FDIC classrooms straining to hear the words of the true leaders in the fire service.
- FDIC: Event Info and Registration
- FDIC International 2023 to Feature the Fire Rescue Station of the Future
FDIC is where the best instructors impart their knowledge on the most elite firefighters in the nation and, indeed, around the world. I’ve been fortunate to have been able to attend nearly every year for about 20 years, and it’s always a treat to see old friends and make new ones. I have said it before and I’m going to say it again: It’s mecca for anyone in the fire service. Every firefighter really ought to attend at least once in a career. It’s worth every second.
I absolutely don’t want to be morbid about this, but you owe it to yourself to get to FDIC before it’s too late. None of us have expiration dates, but we never know when any of us will shuffle off the mortal coil or any other euphemism one may choose to use to signify death. That’s why it’s important to not pass up opportunities when they arise. We’ll never again have the opportunity to hear one of Bobby’s impassioned battle speeches to the masses live during the FDIC opening ceremonies, and that’s a huge loss to the fire service.
In the music world, there are a lot of great musicians and acts I would have loved to have seen, and I regret not taking the time to do so before they were gone. I would have loved to have seen B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan and countless “late greats.” Life for me would have been that much more enriched had I made the effort to go to a concert before it was too late.
When it comes to FDIC, don’t wait. Come this year. There’s still plenty of time to make plans for next month’s conference. Don’t have regrets. It’s likely your favorite fire service gurus, the ones who write regularly for Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment and Fire Engineering, will be there teaching or hanging out at a restaurant or watering hole downtown. FDIC truly takes over the city year after year, and it’s a must-see event.
Make your plans. It’s not too late. Who knows, you might catch the next great act or the next Bruno, a young up-and-coming star in the fire service. FDIC is where legends and icons teach and make connections with firefighters the world over.
And now for a mea culpa. An astute reader caught a goof I made in January’s editorial. I mischaracterized what a fiscal year was compared to a calendar year. The reader correctly pointed out that a fiscal year can be any 365 days desired. For example, the federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.
As the reader pointed out, it’s a basic accounting 101 rule. I confess, I am not an accountant, but I have done a number of fire department budgets over the years, and I am familiar with a fiscal year that runs July 1 to June 30. That’s my experience, and it’s not universally recognized as the fiscal year.
I’ll stick to writing next time, not accounting, and say thank you to our dear reader for correcting my error.
