Chief McMahon was raised in Southern Maryland and graduated from Thomas Stone High School in 2003. McMahon remains an active member of Hughesville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad since joining in September 2002, where she has previously held the offices of Sergeant to Assistant EMS Chief. McMahon first came to the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) as a College Intern in the summer of 2006. While she worked through the summer, she exhibited an enthusiastic interest for the investigative field. McMahon graduated the following semester from Methodist University in North Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology as Magna Cum Laude. She was later hired by the OSFM as a Special Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal in January 2007 to perform contractual daycare inspections. She worked in that position while she pursued a sworn Deputy Fire Marshal position until she was hired in November 2007. She graduated from Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy in May 2008. She has investigated and assisted with the investigations of hundreds of fires. McMahon’s success has led to many arrests and convictions throughout Southern Maryland. McMahon has been nominated for Deputy Fire Marshal of the Year three times regionally, and was recognized as the State Deputy Fire Marshal of the Year in 2011. In 2011, McMahon was also selected for the Exceptional Police Performance Award by the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association.

When not devoting her time to fire investigations, prevention and awareness, McMahon is involved with Hughesville Little League Softball, where she has coached and coordinated with the league for over five years. She is also an active parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Bryantown, where she grew up in faith. McMahon and her husband, Danny, have four wonderful children and continue to reside in Southern Maryland.

-Beth Gilroy, Criminal Justice Teacher