On January 27th, 2024, members of Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company celebrated their 75th anniversary during their annual banquet.
Banquets are a time of celebration and reflection on the previous year and a time of anticipation for the year ahead.

Distinguished guests included Representative Christina Sappey, who presented PML with a citation honoring their 75th year, representatives from our regional partners (Kennett Fire Company and Longwood Fire Company), as well as mutual aid from neighboring companies, including Avondale Fire Company, West Grove Fire Company, Oxford Fire Company, and the municipalities PML serves.
Special guests also included Lt. Col. Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police, United States Marshals from Philadelphia and Allentown, and members of the Fugitive Task Force who took up residence in the firehouse in September.

Speeches included Past President and current Fire Chief Stephen Nuse and Past Fire Chief and current Assistant Chief Jason Griffith. Past Chief and Life Member Jeff Groves gave a brief history of the company, sharing his pride in how far we’ve come and our journey ahead.

Groves said, “Po-Mar-Lin has served the greater Unionville area for the past 75 years with devoted volunteers, huge community support, and backing from the municipalities we serve. Po-Mar-Lin is still “100% volunteer,” which is amazing considering the enormous challenges of retaining and recruiting volunteers in the fire service today. We can only hope that with strong community and municipal support, Po-Mar-Lin will remain as strong as it is today and be able to serve the regional area for the next 75 years and beyond.”

Firefighter Adam Holmes, PML’s top responder of 2023, making roughly 50% of calls (for reference, PML was dispatched to 601), was named Firefighter of the Year!

Assistant Chief Griffith said, “Adam stepped up a lot for us this year. He put in more duty crews than any other member, often covering for or stepping in when we needed someone. He completed multiple trainings, including Pumps and Water Rescue. He was also integral to helping out around the firehouse during the manhunt.”

Congratulations are in order for FF Holmes and for all members. 2023 was a year full of serving the community, partnership, and success. All are looking forward to 2024, a year of growth and new opportunity.

Incoming President Mike Clancy said, “The fact that the firehouse is celebrating its 75th year makes it important and special, and I’m humbled. I look forward to leveraging our rich history to guide us forward this year with a great crew of officers, administrators, and, most importantly, our members.”

Thank you to Thorndale Fire Company for covering our area during our banquet celebration. Members had a much-needed night of respite.
Thank you to our Municipal partners for their support and dedication to our mission and our team. Thanks to our friends and partners from the Oxford, West Grove, and Avondale Fire Companies and our regional partners, the Kennett and Longwood Fire Companies. Your support and cooperation have been invaluable to us, and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the years to come. 2023 was a year of unprecedented challenges, but it was also a year of significant progress. We learned a lot, and have grown stronger as a result. Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company will continue to serve our community with distinction for many years to come.

The Top 10 responders were honored and are as follows:
Tina Carosella - 10
Gavin May - tied 8/9
Brady Smith - tied 8/9
Jason Bittle - 7
Nate Homsey - 6
Mike Clancy - 5
Joey Tuel - 4
Jacob Labonte - 3
Andy Skean - 2
Adam Homes - 1

Members celebrating major milestones included:
Bill Crouse - 25 years
Richard Hicks - 50 years
Jeff Groves - 50 years