“For 12 days, members who spent time at the firehouse, rode the same roller coaster of emotions as the Command Center personnel,” said Chief Jason Griffith, in talking about Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company hosting Law Enforcement during the manhunt for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante.

In the days leading up to law enforcement utilizing the firehouse located in the village of Unionville as the command post, 36 Firehouse Drive was found to be the perfect location due to proximity and space, both for personnel and resources. Just five miles from Chester County Prison and five miles to the center of the perimeter encompassing Longwood Gardens, the firehouse became home to members of the Chester County Sheriffs, Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Marshals, FBI, ATF, and Border Patrol.

Initially, Chief Griffith stated that he did not expect this to be as big as it was, thinking this would not be a big deal. But as the days continued on and law-enforcement agencies were preparing for more than seven days, he knew he needed to think about how to maintain service to the community in the event of an emergency while housing the manpower and equipment the manhunt called for.

Chief Griffith stated,“Even when the space would become crowded, law enforcement was never intrusive or overbearing, rather they were adamant the members of the fire company carry on as they typically would, reminding us that the firehouse is our house.”

As Chester County faced its second large-scale manhunt in 25 years, we saw a community that came together to donate and support law enforcement, as we had never seen before. Firefighter Adam Holmes commented, “It truly does take a village to run something of this magnitude.”

Local residents were dropping off snacks, drinks, desserts, dog treats, sunscreen, bug spray, and ice as the hot days dragged on, and law enforcement continued to push Cavalcante to make a mistake.

Po-Mar-Lin volunteers were given the rare opportunity to see first-hand accounts of a manhunt and how these different agencies work together. Our members were viewed as help and support to law enforcement, able to answer questions being asked by agents who were not familiar with the area. We were seen as experts for the local area, being able to help with small things such as identifying the closest trauma hospital, local dumpster services, and places to provide meals before FOP Lodge 27 brought in their food truck. Our members were able to watch the helicopters land, meet and build relationships with personnel from many agencies, and were even able to interact with the beloved K-9s. Most importantly, our members saw firsthand all of the hard work that went into the manhunt. Chief Griffith and Firefighter Holmes both talked about how law enforcement worked tirelessly, bringing in resource after resource.
Firefighter Holmes stated “While it is easy to criticize [operations] on social media, when you have the opportunity to see firsthand, you know there is no “could have, should have, would have”, rather, we felt their frustrations and celebrated their successes.”

Chief Griffith, having spent a significant amount of time at the station, stated that he felt great pride in knowing that Po-Mar-Lin could give the law enforcement agencies a space that worked for what they were set out to do. Seeing all the resources they brought in and how hard they were working was a sense of comfort, knowing they were giving this effort everything they had. In the time spent at the firehouse, Chief Griffith had concerns about how he could continue to provide the same top-notch service to the local community. In working with the logistics team from Pennsylvania State Police, he ensured all fire trucks could get in and out of the firehouse without obstruction because operating as a firehouse was still our biggest priority.

Firefighter Holmes, along with Chief Griffith and Secretary Christine Griffith, all have shared the pride they have in being part of something bigger. Providing a space that was welcoming and hospitable to personnel who had more important tasks than running trash or unloading donations was an accomplishment not everyone can say they were able to complete.

Members who spent time at the station during the search were as surprised as local residents at just how elusive Cavalcante was, feeling the same shock and dismay to wake up Sunday morning to the photos showing he had made it out of the perimeter and changed his appearance.

In what felt like chaos, many agencies came together to be a part of something that was so large, to protect our local community in a time of need with no injuries to residents or officers. Po-Mar-Lin was honored to be able to support law enforcement during their time need and to be a part of something bigger within the community.

Photos:
Secretary Christine Griffith
Lieutenant Jacob Labonte
Junior Firefighter Brady Smith