Joseph F. Bruno
Encyclopedia
Joseph F. Bruno is a public official in New York City
who has served as a lawyer
, Fire Commissioner
, New York City Civil Court
Judge
and New York State Supreme Court Judge. He currently serves as Commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
in Economics
and in 1968, he earned a Juris Doctor
from St. John's University Law School
. In 1988, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law
degree from St. John's Law School.
as a trial attorney.
Under his leadership, the Fire Department developed a major fire safety education campaign for New Yorkers, with particular emphasis on children and senior citizens. He continued to serve as Fire Commissioner until the end of the Koch Administration on December 31, 1989.
and assigned to the Criminal Court. In 1996, he was elevated to Acting Justice
of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County, and elected Justice of Supreme Court in 2002.
of the New York City Office of Emergency Management. He is the fourth head of the agency since it was established in 1996.
In 2004, Bruno coordinated the City's response to various international disasters, including the floods in Haiti
and the Dominican Republic
and the South Asian tsunami
.
In the spring of 2005, he successfully oversaw New York City’s final adoption and implementation of the Citywide Incident Management System. The program became the City's standard for responding to emergencies and managing planned events. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina
in August 2005, Bruno oversaw the development and operation of a Family Assistance Center to aid victims who migrated to New York City. In December 2005, Bruno headed the City's plan to maintain order during the Transit Strike
, three days in which New Yorker's had no subway service and minimal bus transportation.
In 2006, Bruno oversaw the comprehensive revision of the City's Coastal Storm Plan. The updated plan ensures the City is prepared for a worst-case scenario hurricane, with sheltering capacity for more than 600,000 residents. The commissioner also led the City's response to the Queens blackout in July 2006, which left more than 100,000 residents without power for several days.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
who has served as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Fire Commissioner
FDNY Commissioner
The New York City Fire Commissioner is the civilian administrator of the New York City Fire Department , appointed by the Mayor of the City of New York. There have been 32 commissioners since Manhattan and the Bronx consolidated with Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island to form The City of New York...
, New York City Civil Court
New York City Civil Court
The New York City Civil Court is a court hearing civil cases within New York City. By volume, it is the largest civil jurisdiction court in the United States, and handles about 25% of the total filings of the entire New York state court system.-Jurisdiction:...
Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and New York State Supreme Court Judge. He currently serves as Commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
Education
Bruno graduated from City College in 1966 with a B.S.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and in 1968, he earned a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from St. John's University Law School
St. John's University (New York City)
St. John's University is a private, Roman Catholic, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant...
. In 1988, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
degree from St. John's Law School.
Career
His career in public service began in 1971, when he joined the New York City Law DepartmentNew York City Law Department
The New York City Law Department is the branch of the municipal government of New York City responsible for most of the city's legal affairs. The Department is headed by the Corporation Counsel of New York City.-Duties of the Department:...
as a trial attorney.
NYC Fire Commissioner
He served in various Law Department posts and on October 20, 1987 he was appointed the 26th Fire Commissioner of the City of New York by Mayor Edward I. Koch.Under his leadership, the Fire Department developed a major fire safety education campaign for New Yorkers, with particular emphasis on children and senior citizens. He continued to serve as Fire Commissioner until the end of the Koch Administration on December 31, 1989.
NYC Civil Court and NYS State Supreme Court Judge
In 1991, Bruno was elected to the Civil Court of the City of New YorkNew York City Civil Court
The New York City Civil Court is a court hearing civil cases within New York City. By volume, it is the largest civil jurisdiction court in the United States, and handles about 25% of the total filings of the entire New York state court system.-Jurisdiction:...
and assigned to the Criminal Court. In 1996, he was elevated to Acting Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County, and elected Justice of Supreme Court in 2002.
Commissioner of NYC Office of Emergency Management
On March 4, 2004, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg appointed him CommissionerCommissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the New York City Office of Emergency Management. He is the fourth head of the agency since it was established in 1996.
In 2004, Bruno coordinated the City's response to various international disasters, including the floods in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and the South Asian tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
.
In the spring of 2005, he successfully oversaw New York City’s final adoption and implementation of the Citywide Incident Management System. The program became the City's standard for responding to emergencies and managing planned events. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in August 2005, Bruno oversaw the development and operation of a Family Assistance Center to aid victims who migrated to New York City. In December 2005, Bruno headed the City's plan to maintain order during the Transit Strike
2005 New York City transit strike
The 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 . Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on...
, three days in which New Yorker's had no subway service and minimal bus transportation.
In 2006, Bruno oversaw the comprehensive revision of the City's Coastal Storm Plan. The updated plan ensures the City is prepared for a worst-case scenario hurricane, with sheltering capacity for more than 600,000 residents. The commissioner also led the City's response to the Queens blackout in July 2006, which left more than 100,000 residents without power for several days.