Earlier this month, about 400 members of the fire service-from more than 20 states—got together for the Phoenix Firefighters Symposium.

They were gathered to hear about Mrs. Smith.

Back in 1996, Chief Brunacini—Bruno, to his friends—came up with the idea of Mrs. Smith. She represents why the fire service exists—she’s the first priority for firefighters, the customer they serve. She stands for all the people who call for any kind of help from the fire department.

Bruno left us in 2017, but Mrs. Smith remains as his legacy, with her influence growing. As each class of recruits is taught to remember her, and more members of other departments hear about what she stands for, they carry the message of customer service nationwide.

So what was the big deal about this two-day event? It was-and is—about just what the Symposium’s slogan says: Taking Care of Mrs. Smith.