The City of Flint is mourning the loss of the City’s former Fire Chief, Samuel Dixon Jr., who recently passed away at the age of 95.
Following the Juneteenth holiday weekend, flags at Flint City Hall were lowered to half-staff in his honor.
Current Flint Fire Chief Theron Wiggins said that Chief Dixon worked to grow the Fire Prevention Bureau and arson squads. He also played an important role in the diversification and inclusiveness of the Flint Fire Department. Dixon served as the City of Flint’s first African American fire chief.
“Chief Dixon was instrumental in my life,” current Fire Chief Wiggins said. “I had only been a firefighter for a year when he became the fire chief, and that inspired me to see that we could go all the way to the top. He inspired us all to train and achieve higher goals within the fire service, and he will be missed by all of us who served with him.”
“When I was growing up in this community, Chief Dixon was a role model for me and for many other young men, especially African Americans,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “He was a pillar of strength, and I can personally speak to his legacy and influence on young people.
Chief Dixon also served for a time as the first African American appointed to the 6th Ward city council seat, and I am very proud to have followed in his footsteps as the first African American elected to the Flint City Council in the 6th Ward.”
