Fire Department Information

City of Madison Home Page

Debra H. Amesqua was named Chief of the City of Madison Fire Department on January 15, 1996.  She is the ninth Chief in the Department’s history and the first woman to hold the position.  At the time of her appointment, she was one of only seven women Chiefs among the 32,000 Fire Departments in the Country.

The City of Madison Fire Department protects 67 square miles with 11 fire stations. 317 commissioned and non-commissioned personnel staff the MFD.  The Department operates seven Advanced Life Support ambulances staffed by Firefighter Paramedics.  The Department is a regional Haz-Mat Team provider for the State of Wisconsin and supports special teams in Lake Rescue, Heavy Urban rescue, Rapid Intervention Team, and in 07, Tactical Emergency Medical Service. The City of Madison has a rising population of 217,000.  The City of Madison Fire Department provides services, including mutual aid, to a metropolitan population in excess of 450,000.  The Department budget for the year 2006 is approximately $34 million.

Chief Amesqua began her career in firefighting in 1983 as a recruit in the Tallahassee Florida Fire Department.  After successfully completing training, she served in the field as a firefighter for five years before earning promotion to Driver in 1988.  She earned subsequent promotions to Lieutenant and Captain and, in June of 1992, was promoted to Assistant Chief for Training for the 246-member Tallahassee Department.

Amesqua is nationally recognized for her work on senior-level management training for fire service women and breaking down barriers for people of color.  Amesqua has developed and presented a number of workshops and authored several professional papers on subjects related to executive officer career development, and building a learning organization in the fire service. Amesqua was the first president of the Women Chief Fire Officers Association in 2004-05, and holds the “Chief Fire Officer” (CFO) designation as witnessed by her peers and awarded by the fire service Commission on Professional Credentialing.

“I came from a background where hard work and learning were the models for personal growth. I lead with a sense of affiliation and community, both inside and outside my department. I take great pride in my family, friends, and education.  I strive to be the best of my father’s love, my mother’s strength, my daughter’s beauty, my grandchildren’s potential, and my friend’s faith.  I follow my personal framework as I perform the duties of my position”.

Chief Amesqua has a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Business & Management as a Wingspread Scholar at Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Amesqua has an AA degree in Fire Science from Tallahassee Community College.  She has completed the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Training Program as well as the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Chief Amesqua has also completed numerous professional development workshops and programs including the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute (EDI) at Florida A&M University.