Scotts Valley Fire Protection District has announced the promotion of Deputy Fire Marshal Erin Collins to the position of fire marshal, effective June 21.
Collins joined the district in 2022, bringing over two decades of fire prevention experience. Upon joining, she developed an ambitious inspection plan—completing more than 100 state-mandated inspections in her first year and inspecting all commercial buildings in Scotts Valley by December 2024. She accomplished this self-imposed goal in December 2024, significantly enhancing the safety of residents and visitors alike.
In addition to her inspection achievements, Collins was instrumental in the creation of a weed abatement ordinance that enables the district to actively mitigate fire hazards on undeveloped properties. Previously, the district could only notify property owners of risks. Under the new ordinance, the district may now abate the hazards directly and recover associated costs from the property owners.
She is now turning her focus to fall-related injuries, establishing a Falls Prevention Program for the older adult community.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Collins was selected by her peers as the 2024 Firefighter of the Year. She was honored earlier this year at the Scotts Valley Exchange Club’s Blue and Gold Dinner.
“We are very fortunate to have a Fire Marshal with Erin’s experience and dedication to the fire service in Scotts Valley,” said Fire Chief Mark Correira. “Her hard work and commitment to creating a safer community are truly remarkable. She is one-of-a-kind in her profession.”
For her part, Collins sees it as just another day’s work.
Collins began her fire service career in 1999, hired at Aptos/La Selva Fire as an administrative assistant where she handled payroll and supported the Fire Prevention Bureau, preparing inspection and construction letters for the fire marshal. Curious by nature, she started asking questions: “What’s a turnaround, and why do we require them? Why are sprinklers and alarm systems necessary?”
“I was fortunate to have incredible mentors who encouraged my interest in fire prevention, and I was eventually promoted to fire prevention specialist,” Collins recalled. “I stayed there for 19 years. When Central Fire District posted an opening for a fire inspector, I made the difficult decision to leave Aptos/La Selva. Central offered a great opportunity, and after four years I accepted the position of deputy fire marshal with Santa Clara County Fire—another invaluable experience where I learned a tremendous amount and made lifelong friends. Still, I found myself missing the close-knit, family feel of a smaller department.”
In 2022, Collins learned Scotts Valley Fire was hiring a deputy fire marshal.
“Even though I told myself I’d be fine staying where I was, I knew deep down I really wanted this position. Scotts Valley has been my home for 17 years—I truly care about this community and feel grateful for the opportunity to serve it,” said Collins, whose fire service career runs in the family: her grandfather was a retired arson investigator with San Jose Fire Department and her brother was a paid-call firefighter with Scotts Valley for many years.
Being a fire marshal means working in fire prevention. This means ensuring that buildings are safe and in compliance with the California Fire Code. That can include verifying that fire sprinkler and alarm systems are tested and inspected regularly, or making sure exit signs and emergency lighting are functioning properly.
“I’m also incorporating another important aspect of fire prevention: Community Risk Reduction. I recently launched a Falls Prevention Program, and we gave our first presentation at the Scotts Valley Senior Center,” Collins said. “My goal is to expand this program to our mobile home parks as well. Following the CZU Fire—and with the rise in homeowner insurance cancellations—I’ve been especially focused on helping residents improve defensible space around their homes and supporting neighborhoods in becoming Firewise communities.”
She added, “What’s most rewarding to me is knowing that when I walk out of a building, it’s safer for its occupants, visitors, customers and firefighters. I like to joke that I’m not always the most popular person in the fire department—since my role is enforcing code compliance—but my goal is always education over enforcement. I want people to understand the ‘why’ behind the requirements.”
Looking ahead, Collins hopes to continue emphasizing defensible space and vegetation management, especially since much of the Fire District lies within high or very high fire hazard severity zones—and to further support the seniors in the community by collaborating with organizations like Damians Ladder, the Senior Council and the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.
“My son hopes to become a Scotts Valley firefighter and work alongside me before I retire, and that would truly be a dream come true,” she said.
