Police said that two high-ranking firefighters were killed in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday afternoon in what they call a staged sniper ambush. Frank Harwood, 42, was the head of the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, was the head of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. They were both shot and killed while putting out a grass fire. People think that Wess Roley started the fire on purpose to lure first responders into a deadly trap before killing himself.
Frank Harwood was a firefighter and rescue worker for Kootenai County for 17 years. Before that, he was a soldier in the Army National Guard who worked on building things. Chris Way, the fire chief, said that Harwood was a respected leader and a devoted family man. He was married and had two kids. “Something that no one could have imagined or thought of happened,” Way said at a press conference on Monday. “Many people are sad about this loss.” Harwood was an important member of the department and a mentor to many since he had a lot of experience, was disciplined, and was dedicated to service.
John Morrison served for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department for 28 years. He started as a firefighter and worked his way up to engineer, captain, and finally battalion chief. Morrison was in charge of operations, but he was also a paramedic for a long period. People praised him for maintaining calm under pressure and caring about his work. Thomas Greif, the fire chief in Coeur d’Alene, said that Sunday was one of the department’s worst days ever. He remarked, “Yesterday was one of the most horrible, dark days that either of our groups has ever had to deal with.”
Dave Tysdal, an engineer who has worked with the Coeur d’Alene department for 23 years, was also harmed in the incident. Since then, he has undergone two surgeries and is now in the hospital resting. In a statement from the department, Tysdal’s wife thanked the public for their support. She added that he is now with family and has been able to see again. She said, “The two surgeries went well,” which gave me a little hope in the middle of the disaster.
After the event, a sad procession took Harwood and Morrison’s bodies from Kootenai Health to the coroner’s office in Spokane County. People were sorrowful, respectful, and shocked. The deputy operations chief, Pete Holley, spoke honestly about how hard things are for the department right now. “We don’t get ready for this.” We don’t think it will happen. Holley said, “Our firefighters shouldn’t have to deal with this.” He said that the crew had followed all the laws when they put out a grass fire, which is especially dangerous in the dry season.
Then, officials found out that the fire had been started on purpose with a flint starter, which is something that people usually use when they go camping or hiking. The culprit shot at the firefighters before they could put out the flames. The fire, which was close to Canfield Mountain, burned around 20 acres but is now out. Officials said it hadn’t gotten bigger since the attack and thought it would be gone by Monday night.
The terrible thing that happened affected people all throughout the world. Brad Little, the governor of Idaho, wrote on social media that the attack was a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters” and asked people all throughout the state to pray for the victims and their families. He said, “Teresa and I are brokenhearted.”
To assist them deal with the awful loss of their coworkers, both departments have brought in peer support teams from all over the area. Harwood and Morrison were both real leaders, not just in name. They helped their teams deal with both big and small problems. Harwood and Morrison’s deaths have left a big hole in both their departments and the community where they worked hard to help people.
As the investigation continues, Code 4 NW and GoFundMe campaigns have been established up to aid the families of the firemen who were maimed or killed. People in the community are coming together to help those who were hurt by the horrific tragedy that killed two men who had dedicated their lives to protecting others.