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
A historian’s look at how the future will view one of America’s darkest moments
Volunteer firefighters joined the war effort, formed their own regiments, and sustained heavy losses
Firefighters in Birmingham showed moral courage in the face of direct orders during a very difficult time in history
Even with the passage of decades, our most tragic fires still hold lessons that can keep present-day firefighters safe
There are concise, proven steps that will reduce the number of multiple-fatality fires, many of those victims being children
Historically, November has been especially tragic; yet out of the large fires has come positive changes
The depictions of firefighters on TV have come a long way since the early days — for better or for worse
A cultural turning point for our country was also the point when firefighters went from being heroes to professionals
History shows us that fire is an enemy that we can never vanquish, but can contain
In addition to lack of training, preparation and regulation, 1944 circus fire was made worse by human behavior