Fire icon Chief Alan Brunacini, otherwise known as Chief Bruno, made an impact on the fire service in more ways than one. And while he may be gone, he is most definitely never forgotten – especially by two former International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Chief of the Year award winners.
Chiefs Bruce Varner and Thomas Kuntz learned from Chief Bruno, along with many other mentors during their fire service career, that educating the community, putting the customer first and having empathy are some of the many keys to success as a fire chief.
Varner, former chief of the Carrollton (Texas) Fire Department for 12 years, won the 2001 award for Career Fire Chief of the Year.