Trending Topics
Hensler_420x370.jpg

Bruce Hensler

A Shared History

Bruce Hensler served as a firefighter from 1976 to 2011 in career, combination and volunteer departments. He previously served as a fire program specialist in the Emergency Response Support Branch of the U.S. Fire Administration, retiring in 2017. He also previously served as deputy director of the operations division for the firefighter training program in Maine. Hensler has a master’s degree in public administration. His interest in history led him to write “Crucible of Fire: Nineteenth-Century Urban Fires and the Making of the Modern Fire Service.” More information about his book is available at nebraskapress.edu. Connect with Hensler on LinkedIn.

LATET ARTICLES
“America Burning” spotlights firefighters, legends propose new tactics, and smoke detectors change the game
The tragic fire that proved the value of automatic sprinklers in high-rise buildings
Firefighters worked frantically to save fellow members as the building collapsed around them; 9 did not survive
Despite the staggering death toll, plus myriad fire protection and human failures, change was not immediate
The pioneering insurance organization helped blaze a path for the first building and fire prevention codes
In 1940, 207 people died after flames engulfed a popular dance hall in Mississippi
Three tragedies were rooted in New York’s inability to shut down social clubs or gain their compliance with current codes
Understanding how we got here and why we must focus on managing fire and sheltering-in-place
The evolution of emergency services provided by municipal fire departments and the fire service budget
From mechanization to labor relations, important fire service advances in the early 1900s remain with us today