February 20
North Shore Community College (NSCC) has had a lasting impact on Jen Collins-Brown ‘94: as Topsfield’s fire chief, she puts her learning into practice every day.
However, Collins-Brown did not start her education at NSCC. Never afraid to try something new, her road through education has been unconventional. She first earned a bachelor’s in occupational therapy from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine before settling in Topsfield with her husband.
Eager to connect with the local community, she joined 4-H as a leader. When her co-leader suggested that she might enjoy joining the fire department, Collins-Brown started on a new path. She joined the Topsfield Fire Department and soon started an EMT course at NSCC, her introduction to her local community college.
“Our small group activities created interdisciplinary teams that reflected the real emergency field we were entering. Some of my closest study partners, like Bob Pyburn from Danvers Fire and Jeff Liacos from Beverly Police, became lifelong friends and colleagues,” she said.
In 1988, she enrolled in NSCC’s Fire Protection and Safety Technology program: her first class was Building Construction, taught by Saugus Fire Chief George Parrott.
“Chief Parrott passed away this past winter at the age of 97, but I still have the notes from his class—concepts that became the framework of my career, helping me stay safe and effective as a firefighter, investigator, and officer.”
Balancing Work, Life, and Education
Collins-Brown juggled her studies, firefighting, and her career as an occupational therapist—all while raising a family. After taking a break from NSCC to earn a master’s degree in Applied Management from Lesley College (now Lesley University), she graduated with her associate degree in fire protection and safety technology in 1994, but her connection to NSCC did not stop there.
In 2011, when her teenage daughter was nearing her senior year of high school, it became clear that traditional high school was not the right fit. Through Early College, her daughter completed her senior year of high school and her first year of college at the same time, later transferring to Husson University in Bangor, Maine and becoming a nurse.
Rising through the ranks, Collins-Brown became a full-time firefighter in 2005, and in 2017, she became chief of the Topsfield Fire Department: the first female fire chief in Essex County and only the fourth female fire chief in Massachusetts.
“I'm proud to lead dedicated and talented men and women, many of whom are graduates of this very program. I've used what I learned at NSCC every day of my career.”
Learn more about NSCC's Fire Protection and Safety Technology program.