LAFD Public Service Officer Margaret Stewart is honored in serving as a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department with her colleagues Brian Humphrey and Nick Prange.
Margaret did not take the direct path to becoming a firefighter. Unlike many of her peers who joined the fire service in their 20’s, Margaret had two previous careers and bit more life experience under her belt. Raised with a commitment to serve, she chose to fulfill that calling as an officer in the United States Army. Upon graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Margaret became a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot. She served seven years active duty before hanging up her flight suit to try on a corporate suit.
Margaret obtained her Masters in Business Administration from the London Business School and worked for a large pharmaceutical company in Europe. However, it did not take long for the call to serve to resurface. The corporate world was not meant to be her future. Margaret’s brother, a fire captain, is a significant influence in her life and served as her mentor in the pursuit of a fire service career.
In 2005, Margaret embarked on her third and final career when she stepped into the LAFD Fire Academy. Excited to be back helping people in need, the fire service felt like home. After a few years, Margaret embarked on yet another challenge and became one of the departments few K9 Search Specialists. She served as the K9 Coordinator for the LAFD’s FEMA Task Force for three years. She currently has two K9 partners; “Bo” is a Live Find Disaster Search K9 and “Veya” is a Human Remains Detection K9. Margaret can be seen at most of the LAFD’s large public relations events performing demonstrations with her K9s, thrilling the crowds as they climb ladders and follow hand signals.
Margaret is honored to share information about the work of the Los Angeles Fire Department with the citizens of Los Angeles.