Community rallies to support Idaho ambushed firefighters, their families
News Story by FāVS News Staff
The Inland Northwest is mourning the tragic loss of two battalion chiefs and the critical injury of a fire engineer following a deadly ambush during a wildfire response on Idaho’s Canfield Mountain on June 29. At a press conference held June 30, fire officials identified the fallen firefighters as Coeur d’Alene Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, and Kootenai County Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42. Coeur d’Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, remains in critical condition after two surgeries.
The officials expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming community support, including donations of food, cards and offers of assistance. Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif emphasized the importance of continued support, stating at the conference that the involved agencies face a long road ahead.
Here are some ways the community can keep up their support.
If you know of other ways to help, please email ca************@**vs.news.
Red & Blue Foundation
Founded in 2005 as the Kootenai County Police and Fire Memorial Foundation, Inc., Red & Blue Foundation began in response to the serious injury to City of Coeur d’Alene police officer Mike Kralicek and the subsequent medical needs his family needed to pay for beyond what work compensation covered.
The foundation has since rebranded and in response to the firefighters’ shootings, they have set up a fund titled “The Canfield Incident.” All donations to this fund will go to help all first responders fallen or injured during the incident.
The Village Bakery of Hayden
Pastry Chef Dana Bellefeuille went into action the evening the Idaho firefighters were ambushed, killing two and critically injuring one. She put out a call-to-action on her bakery’s Facebook page asking for funds to assist her bakery in providing meals to the fire agencies and the families of the fire fighters involved in the shooting. This includes daily meals, food for the upcoming funerals and beyond.
Any funds in excess will go to the families of the fire fighters involved. She warned donors to beware of fake bakery Venmo and Facebook accounts raising money. Donations for The Village Bakery’s goodwill efforts can be dropped off at the store, mailed to the store or sent to her Venmo account on Facebook.
Idaho for ALL & Idaho Healthy Communities Challenge
Members and participants of these groups are encouraging people to write letters to the editor, opinion pieces and more to be sent along to newspapers and other publishing mediums to address the youth crisis. Suggestions also included recognizing youth are struggling and needing to be recognized. To do this they encourage individuals to be more intentional in saying hello, paying attention to them and giving them space to discuss the Canfield Mountain tragedy.
Their goal is to prevent another 20-year-old from going down a path “consumed by rage” because they feel “hopeless, neglected and unloved,” they wrote in an email. For an example, see Lauren McCroskey’s FāVS News guest column “Honor Idaho’s fallen firefighters by reaching out to our youth.”
This document will continue to be updated as FāVS knows of more community efforts.
