The Heart of Coeur d’Alene: Honoring Our First Responders

Remembering the heroes we lost and the hope that carries us forward

By Steve Russo

On June 29, 2025, Coeur d’Alene was shaken.

Two of our bravest—Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison—answered a call that should have been routine. It wasn’t.

An ambush stole their lives and left another hero, Engineer David Tysdal, fighting for his own.

The weight of that day will never entirely leave us. But neither will what happened next.

Because when tragedy struck, this city did what it always does.

It rose.

Firefighters from across Idaho showed up—not just to fill shifts, but to stand shoulder to shoulder with their brothers and sisters in Coeur d’Alene. Engines rolled into town not as strangers, but as family. Grief was heavy, but so was the bond that carried them through.

And the people responded.

Businesses turned work into worship. Pizza shops, builders, and mom-and-pop storefronts opened their doors and gave every cent to the families who had lost so much. High school classmates rallied, raising thousands with nothing but heart and hustle. Musicians picked up guitars, and barbecues lit up, not in celebration, but in solidarity. Even those who had never worn a uniform found ways to carry the weight.

A flag waved.

A donation dropped into a bucket.

A prayer whispered in the quiet.

And as the funeral procession moved down Interstate-90, Coeur d’Alene lined the overpasses. Flags in hand. Hands over hearts. Salutes held high. In silence, the message thundered: You are not forgotten. You never will be.

That is the spirit of this place.

That is the spirit of Coeur d’Alene.

Scripture says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). These men lived that verse, not with words, but with action.

We cannot erase the darkness of that day. But we can remember the light that followed—thousands of small acts of love, of sacrifice, of honor—that together became something unshakable.

For our first responders, there will never be enough words. No headline, no story, no memorial can measure the debt we owe. But we can live in a way that honors them—by supporting those who serve, by standing with the families who grieve, and by never taking for granted the men and women who run toward danger so the rest of us can live in peace.

And we can let their sacrifice stir something deeper as we remember. To not just honor courage with flags and donations, but to turn our hearts toward the One who gives life, hope, and healing. In the face of tragedy, faith is not an escape—it is an anchor.

Coeur d’Alene’s heart has always been strong. But in this moment, it beat louder than ever.

And for the heroes we lost, it will keep beating—forever.

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