The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
(TNS)
Jul. 10—Clusters of people, some holding American flags, watched from the sides of Coeur d'Alene streets Thursday morning as police, fire and other emergency trucks, cars and motorcycles rolled by in a funeral procession honoring a Coeur d'Alene firefighter who was shot on Canfield Mountain.
The procession for Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, started at English Funeral Chapel north of downtown Coeur d'Alene, proceeded south on Third Street, east through downtown on Sherman Avenue and finished under an enormous American flag blowing in the wind high above ladder trucks that hoisted Old Glory into the air on Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive.
Morrison and Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, were responding to a fire late last month at the mountain on the east end of Coeur d'Alene when authorities believe they were ambushed by a gunman. Coeur d'Alene Fire Department engineer Dave Tysdal, 47, was shot and wounded .
The public is invited to line the same route at 10 a.m. Friday for Harwood's procession.
Mary Fritz was one of the several hundred who gathered on one of the three streets to pay their respects. She drove from her Kellogg residence to honor the ultimate sacrifice the firefighters made.
Fritz, a retired Idaho Department of Lands public information officer, has been around fires that have killed firefighters. But this was different.
"We never expect to roll up on a fire and have something like this happen," said Fritz, who comes out of retirement each summer for the state to help push wildfire information out to the public.
Fritz, who was standing on Third Street and Harrison Avenue, said she was one of the public information officers for the Canfield fire. She said she's heartbroken for the firefighters and affected families.
"This was a devastating experience, something we never imagined in the wildland firefighting community," Fritz said. "It affects all of us that work in wildland fire."
To the south on Third Street, Charles Barrera and his 7-year-old nephew, Logan Snider, stood outside Barrera's black Chevrolet Camaro with an American flag hanging outside the window and waited for the procession to start.
"It's important to me to be able to pay respect for these gentlemen who sacrificed their lives, put their lives on the line every day to keep our community safe," said Barrera, a 34-year-old Post Falls resident.
Barrera said he was in "disbelief" when he heard the news of the June 29 ambush.
"It was really tough to think that that could happen anywhere, let alone right in the backyard," he said.
Will Andrews, holding a black and white American flag with a red stripe signifying respect and support for firefighters, stood along Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive with his wife Kenzie and son Waylon, 9, to honor Morrison. Andrews and his wife reflected on their friend, Harwood, who worked out at Will Andrews' Coeur d'Alene gym.
Will Andrews said he owned Andrews Strength and Performance, now called American Strength and Performance, for about six years before selling it about four years ago. Harwood was one of the gym's first members and would come in for a workout after his firefighting shift. The Andrews and Harwood families became close and went camping together.
"We feel lucky and honored to have the opportunity to know Frank and get to know him and his family," he said.
He said Harwood had a "contagious smile" and "contagious attitude" that made him great to be around. He was "genuinely a great person," as well as a good father, husband and friend, he said.
Kenzie Andrews said Harwood's family was his "No. 1 priority."
"You could tell he loved his family," she said.
Harwood had an "amazing work capacity" in the gym, Will Andrews said. .
"This guy had iron lungs," he said. "I mean, he could just nonstop work. He never looked like he was tired. He would always finish, put his hands on his hip and just have a big smile."
Kenzie Andrews said Harwood started getting into long-distance running. The couple said Harwood didn't even train for one of the long runs he completed.
Will Andrews said Harwood and his firefighter brothers motivated him to become a first responder. He is now a volunteer emergency medical technician at Timberlake Fire Protection District in Athol.
"It's men like Frank who have motivated me and inspired me to pursue that same path," he said.
Will Andrews said it was "really awesome" to see the community come out to support its fallen firefighters.
"We have an amazing community for our first responders," he said.
He also said it's good to see surrounding agencies cover Coeur d'Alene first responders' shifts so they could participate in the procession and funeral services Thursday and Friday.
"I just think that is so awesome and just drives home why I want to be part of that," he said.
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