His career in public service began in 1971, when he joined the New York City Law Department as a trial attorney.

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.

In March 2004, Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Joseph F. Bruno commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management (NYC OEM).

[5] Among his first major initiatives, Commissioner Bruno successfully oversaw New York City's adoption and implementation of the Citywide Incident Management System (CIMS).

This marked a critical step in New York City's effort to plan ahead for long-term housing after a catastrophic disaster.

During his tenure, Commissioner Bruno has successfully coordinated the city's responses to a variety of emergency and planned incidents.