History of Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company

Organized in 1840 but gone from written records by 1845, Unionville Fire Company was the first organized fire company in the Unionville area. More than 100 years later, tragedy spurred the organization of a new fire company, with a woman perishing in a house fire in the village in 1949. Within a month a group of 97 people had met and created the original charter for Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company, so named for the municipalities served.    

To get the new fire company underway, a committee was formed to search for a fire truck, and the first official fundraising event, a horse show on the property of Mrs. John B. Hannum, was held. The fundraising efforts were supplemented by a donation from Robert Kleberg of King Ranch to cover the cost of a 1934 Hahn fire truck. For years to come, the truck was housed at various locations throughout the Unionville area. Fundraising and local community support have continued to be consistent themes throughout the history of Po-Mar-Lin.    

Po-Mar-Lin responded to its first fire on December 25, 1951, a small grass fire. The first significant effort was assisting Kennett Fire Company with a fire at Connors Drug Store, at the corner of State and Union streets in Kennett Square. In 1952 Po-Mar-Lin settled at its permanent location with the construction of the first firehouse on land purchased from Walter Hoopes. A second fire truck was purchased in 1954, and a formal parade and housing was held to celebrate.     

Early fundraising efforts included Saturday evening dances but shifted to the Strawberry Festival, held each summer from 1956 to 1985, and the Ox Roast, held from 1957 into the 1980s. The Ox Roast was a key source of revenue for the fire company, particularly with the donation of beef from King Ranch. Both events were enjoyed by community members across the decades, ending when the financial return was not great enough to warrant the time invested by volunteers.  Fundraising has continued in various forms across the decades, seeking to balance support for the fire company with the investment of volunteer time.

The late 1950s saw new equipment purchased, and modernization in the form of a phone system for residents to call in case of an emergency, which rang in four locations near the firehouse. Upon someone answering a call for assistance, they would go to the firehouse to blow the siren, calling in the volunteers. The first fatality at a fire in the history of Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company occurred in 1958, with the death of a child in a fire on a Cannery Road property.

A Ladies Auxiliary was added to the fire company in 1962, providing critical support at fire scenes and through fundraising activities. Modernization continued throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, including a building addition, purchase of new trucks, and purchase of a base station and home monitors to better alert firefighters, particularly for overnight alarms. In 1969 Po-Mar-Lin voted to join the developing Chester County Fire Board, which went live in 1971 to provide centralized dispatching.

Fire company officers worked with local township supervisors in 1975 to develop a plan for ongoing financial support. Townships would donate to the fire company out of their general fund, with the funding going toward capital expenses, such as fire apparatus. Operating expenses would be covered through volunteer effort, either by fundraising efforts (such as bingo nights) and services (such as filling swimming pools). This plan remained largely in place into the early 2000s.

In March of 1976 a snowstorm and confusion over the location of a fire contributed to the second fatality at a fire in the history of Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company, the outcome every firefighter or emergency response personnel works to prevent. Every emergency response call carries the potential of that outcome, and that weight is in turn carried by the individuals that choose to serve their community in these roles, whether paid or volunteer.   

The late 1970s saw advancements in personal protective gear for firefighters and firefighting techniques. Mutual aid was becoming a normal activity, and the Southern Chester County Fire Chiefs Association was formed in 1978 to coordinate training, purchasing, and response. Po-Mar-Lin updated equipment and planned construction of an additional engine room, with Assistant Chief Roy Harris serving as the building committee chairman.    

The darkest potential outcome of volunteer firefighter service came to Po-Mar-Lin on May 25th, 1982. Six fire company members were filling the engine truck with water at a fire pond located adjacent to Route 82 when the engine was struck head-on by a passing motorist. Assistant Chief Roy Harris was fatally injured. Two members suffered critical injuries, and the remaining three suffered injuries requiring hospital care.

Today the fire pond has been filled in, replaced by parking for the URA baseball and softball fields, and many may stand at the location and be unaware of the loss of life and injuries suffered in service to the community. Family members, fellow firefighters, and friends carry the weight however and endure the sacrifice that at times results from emergency response service.

The change came to Po-Mar-Lin throughout the 1980s, with long-time fundraising efforts ending, new equipment purchased, and the retrofit of a portion of the firehouse to serve as the Unionville Post Office. Chester County switched to 911 as the countywide emergency number in January 1994.  

By 2000 it was clear that the original firehouse needed to be replaced, and a major fund drive was initiated to construct a modern fire station. The new station, located adjacent to the original, was completed in 2005 through the support of many organizations and individuals.