This summer, Po-Mar-lin Fire Company celebrated Firefighter John Bowman’s 50 years of service. Since June 5, 1968 FF Bowman has dedicated his life as a firefighter to Po-Mar-Lin and its surrounding communities.

If you ask any member about FF Bowman, they’ll tell you he’s an intelligent, humble man who keeps to himself.

Assistant Chief, Jason Griffith said, “Bowman has always been really patient with me from the time I was an annoying, overly eager junior until now as Assistant Chief,” he continued, “While it takes time to gain his trust, once you have it, he is completely loyal to you as a person.”

In addition to loyalty, FF Bowman considers respect and communication a valuable pair of tools every firefighter should have. Chief Engineer, Ricky Tuel said, “John is a big one for respect for other people. I think he brought that up at just about every meeting we had. One meeting he took the time to make a sign that read RESPECT and then it lead into another word which was COMMUNICATIONS.”

With many years of experience comes wisdom and with wisdom comes advice. There are countless pieces of advice he has passed down to other members, both on scene and during training.

“While he was Assistant Chief and I was a Lieutenant, one of the best things he taught me was to keep calm and think through each decision. He knew if he didn’t keep himself calm, the rest of the crew would sense that, and things would become chaotic,” Asst. Chief Griffith continued, “John also taught me that sometimes it’s better to sit back and listen rather than always needing to be the one talking. You learn a lot more that way.”

He’s worn many hats over the years as an active member, both on the operations side and the administrative side, including, Captain, Assistant Chief, Secretary, and he currently acts as a Trustee.

Despite the titles he’s had, it was never about climbing the ladder. It was about leading by example. Trustee and Safety Officer, Jeff Groves said, “John’s a very diligent hard worker. He always tried to do the right thing. It wasn’t about John, it was about the fire company. He doesn’t want that recognition, he just wants to help.”

FF Bowman has worked at the Acme in West Goshen since high school and is currently working on his second master's degree. Po-Mar-Lin is fortunate to have him as a member and looks forward to his service for years to come.