Stewart has a wealth of experience to back up his confidence. Prior to accepting the position as Chief, Stewart was the Training Officer for the Baton Rouge Fire Department, an Instructor for the LSU National Center for Biomedical Research & Training/Academy of Counter Terrorism and the local Chief Safety Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, DMORT WMD team. Despite those duties, Stewart still found time to serve as the Deputy Chief of the Prairieville Volunteer Fire Department.

Stewart has also served as an instructor at the LSU Fire & Emergency Training Institute and as a firefighter and EMT with the Baton Rouge Fire Department. His extensive background in both safety and training made him the ideal candidate to lead Prairieville Fire Department into a new era. Under his direction, the Department has already enhanced its training schedule, increased accountability among its members, improved record keeping and reporting, updated equipment and established paid firefighter positions.

The job still has its challenges. Prairieville continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in the state, with new shopping centers, subdivisions and apartment buildings going up daily. With that comes an increased number of emergency calls for fires, medical emergencies and traffic accidents. The Department continues to meet the challenge and takes great pride in its ability to respond promptly and effectively. It will fall on Stewart's shoulders to ensure the Department keeps pace with the community's growth. "This is a really exciting time for our Department," says Stewart. "I hope that will encourage new volunteers as well as experienced firefighters to join us and I look forward to the continued amazing support we've had from our citizens and businesses."

Email Chief Mark Stewart