The Sable Flames
On February 28, the Sable Flames held their 16th Annual Second Alarm Scholarship Benefit Dance at the Edgewater
Hotel on Lake Mendota. As Greg “DJ Surprise” King spun the tunes and those present hit the floor or dined on a buffet of fine
foods.
In a break from the music, Mahlon Mitchell, the president of the Sable Flames, recognized the evening’s award recipients.
The Kermit Moseley Community Service Award was given to Madison Firefighters Local 311 in recognition of their
contributions to the Jones-Robinson Scholarship Fund. And the entire Madison Fire Department, represented by Chief Debra
Amesqua and members of her administrative team, was also recognized for their support of the fund.
Mitchell has been the organizer of the Second Alarm dance for the past five years when he stepped into the breach when
Johnny Winston Jr. — the previous organizer — was elected to the Madison school board. Mitchell too has now been tapped for
a leadership position on the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Executive Board and is now looking for someone else to step
up and take over. “It’s a lot of work and a lot of people don’t realize how much work it really is,” Mitchell said during a break from
the festivities.
It seems every year there are more and more red blazers of Sable Flames members popping up at the Second Alarm
dance. It reflects the growth of the Madison Fire Department and the growth in African Americans who have joined the ranks.
“In the past 3-4 years, we probably had 12-13 new people come on,” Mitchell said. “Every year, they are ready to work and learn
their job. Chief Amesqua has really done a good job at hiring good people. And she’s a good judge of people and it has been
great. The people who have come on, about 99.9 percent have been great. Our new young firefighters are great. And they are
always asking what they can do.”
Increasing the number of African Americans on the force hasn’t been easy. “We have to work hard to have more African
Americans on the job,” Mitchell emphasized. “And that’s our responsibility as well as everyone else’s. The young core group we
have now does a great job. And if you look at other cities our size, we’re higher than any other city. And I will put us up against
any other city that has the same per capita that we have as firefighters and as people in the city. We have more minorities,
including women, than any other city. Our diversity is great. We mesh and do a great job.”
Mitchell is also proud of the department’s efforts to attract women to the ranks. “We have roughly over 45 women,” Mitchell
said. “So per capita, we probably have more women than any other department. We received an award over a year ago from
the International Association of Firefighters of being the most diverse department in the nation. That’s a pretty big award. It was
for being the most diverse and being able to deal with diversity. When you get on the job, you realize you are part of a bigger
cause than yourself. You get on and realize this is a great thing and I want to be a part of that. I think 99.9 percent of the
people realize that.”
The Sable Flames have given each other solid support through the years as the department began its diversity efforts and
adjusted to diversity. And now that solidarity is also a reflection of the solidarity of the department as a whole. “It’s a brotherhood
and sisterhood,” Mitchell said. “We are tight. You watch the movies and it is glorified to a certain extent, but as far as the station
life and things going on, we are tight. We’re a family outside of our personal families. And for a lot of people, this is the only
family they have. It gets you choked up a little bit just to sit and talk about it.”
They are solid in their remembrance of the tragic deaths of the Jones-Robinson children and their commitment to serve.
Hotel on Lake Mendota. As Greg “DJ Surprise” King spun the tunes and those present hit the floor or dined on a buffet of fine
foods.
In a break from the music, Mahlon Mitchell, the president of the Sable Flames, recognized the evening’s award recipients.
The Kermit Moseley Community Service Award was given to Madison Firefighters Local 311 in recognition of their
contributions to the Jones-Robinson Scholarship Fund. And the entire Madison Fire Department, represented by Chief Debra
Amesqua and members of her administrative team, was also recognized for their support of the fund.
Mitchell has been the organizer of the Second Alarm dance for the past five years when he stepped into the breach when
Johnny Winston Jr. — the previous organizer — was elected to the Madison school board. Mitchell too has now been tapped for
a leadership position on the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Executive Board and is now looking for someone else to step
up and take over. “It’s a lot of work and a lot of people don’t realize how much work it really is,” Mitchell said during a break from
the festivities.
It seems every year there are more and more red blazers of Sable Flames members popping up at the Second Alarm
dance. It reflects the growth of the Madison Fire Department and the growth in African Americans who have joined the ranks.
“In the past 3-4 years, we probably had 12-13 new people come on,” Mitchell said. “Every year, they are ready to work and learn
their job. Chief Amesqua has really done a good job at hiring good people. And she’s a good judge of people and it has been
great. The people who have come on, about 99.9 percent have been great. Our new young firefighters are great. And they are
always asking what they can do.”
Increasing the number of African Americans on the force hasn’t been easy. “We have to work hard to have more African
Americans on the job,” Mitchell emphasized. “And that’s our responsibility as well as everyone else’s. The young core group we
have now does a great job. And if you look at other cities our size, we’re higher than any other city. And I will put us up against
any other city that has the same per capita that we have as firefighters and as people in the city. We have more minorities,
including women, than any other city. Our diversity is great. We mesh and do a great job.”
Mitchell is also proud of the department’s efforts to attract women to the ranks. “We have roughly over 45 women,” Mitchell
said. “So per capita, we probably have more women than any other department. We received an award over a year ago from
the International Association of Firefighters of being the most diverse department in the nation. That’s a pretty big award. It was
for being the most diverse and being able to deal with diversity. When you get on the job, you realize you are part of a bigger
cause than yourself. You get on and realize this is a great thing and I want to be a part of that. I think 99.9 percent of the
people realize that.”
The Sable Flames have given each other solid support through the years as the department began its diversity efforts and
adjusted to diversity. And now that solidarity is also a reflection of the solidarity of the department as a whole. “It’s a brotherhood
and sisterhood,” Mitchell said. “We are tight. You watch the movies and it is glorified to a certain extent, but as far as the station
life and things going on, we are tight. We’re a family outside of our personal families. And for a lot of people, this is the only
family they have. It gets you choked up a little bit just to sit and talk about it.”
They are solid in their remembrance of the tragic deaths of the Jones-Robinson children and their commitment to serve.
By Jonathan Gramling
The mission of the Madison Fire Department is to serve the Madison
community, protect its citizens from fire dangers and save lives and property in
the event of a fire. In 1990, members of the department responded to a fire at
the Sommerset housing project on W. Badger Road in the Town of Madison.
Five children died that night and their tragic deaths hit members of the
department very hard.
In the ensuing year, the Sable Flames, an organization established by
Madison’s African American firefighters, established the Jones-Robinson
scholarship fund in memory of the five children who died that night. Since
then, over $40,000 has been granted to individuals to pursue their dreams of
becoming firefighters or other careers.
The mission of the Madison Fire Department is to serve the Madison
community, protect its citizens from fire dangers and save lives and property in
the event of a fire. In 1990, members of the department responded to a fire at
the Sommerset housing project on W. Badger Road in the Town of Madison.
Five children died that night and their tragic deaths hit members of the
department very hard.
In the ensuing year, the Sable Flames, an organization established by
Madison’s African American firefighters, established the Jones-Robinson
scholarship fund in memory of the five children who died that night. Since
then, over $40,000 has been granted to individuals to pursue their dreams of
becoming firefighters or other careers.