UPDATE: Chief Brunacini passed away on Oct. 15, 2017, just about a month after recording this interview.
Chief Alan Brunacini is one of the most highly respected figures in the fire industry.
After serving as a firefighter, engineer, captain, battalion chief and assistant chief at the Phoenix Fire Department, Brunacini was named chief in 1978, and went on to serve 28 years in that role.
He has also served as the Chairman of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 Technical Committee for Fire Service Organization and Deployment Projects.
He was the first active fire service member to hold the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of the NFPA.
Brunacini has authored or co-authored a total of nine books, including “Fire Command.” Used by fire departments across the nation, “Fire Command” explains precise procedures for approaching and diminishing a hazardous situation.
Brunacini is a graduate of the Fire Protection Technology program at Oklahoma State University and a graduate of Arizona State University where he earned a degree in political science. He completed the Urban Executives Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a master’s in public administration from Arizona State University.
Since his retirement after 48 years in the fire service, he has become involved in holding seminars on leadership around the country, under the auspices of Columbia Southern University.