Benedikt Larson

The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

(TNS)

Jul. 31—Frank Harwood was an avid mentor, both in his personal life and in his role as Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief.

Harwood was one of three firefighters shot and two killed while responding to a fire in June 2025, but that day won't be the end of his story.

"I immediately knew that I did not want his death to be in vain," said Meghan Harwood, Frank Harwood's wife.

Meghan Harwood began thinking about how to continue her husband's legacy.

"This was kind of born with a lot of self-reflection and knowing the things that were important to Frank and to our family," Meghan Harwood said.

Frank Harwood's love of the outdoors and his passion for helping others, especially youths, inspired the FJH Initiative.

The initiative will support youths through a yearlong program that combines outdoor activities, mentorship and mental health care. Youths in the program will participate in outdoor recreation with their peers, mentors and licensed mental health counselors.

Meghan Harwood pointed to her husband's love of nature, and that being outside gives youths an opportunity for real-life activities away from screens.

"The outdoors gets that technology away, gets your feet on the ground and gets you used to being in the environment that can be very healing and grounding where those natural conversations can occur," Meghan Harwood said.

She hopes that taking a casual approach to mental health discussions will help youths feel more comfortable than they might in a traditional therapy setting.

The FJH Initiative focuses on preventive care, hoping to provide youths with support and community before anything goes wrong.

"This is something that we want to help carry kids throughout their lifespan," Meghan Harwood said. "And so we want to offer them tools and strategies to cope with the different challenges that are going to come through life."

One of the core tenets of the program is the first-responder mentorship. Youths in the program will be paired with a trained first responder who will guide them throughout the year.

First responders interested in volunteering will be vetted and trained.

The FJH Initiative plans to open applications for volunteers in January and have the first cohort of youths begin in summer 2027.

Meghan Harwood encourages all to remember her husband's values and to show up in their community.

"Fundamentally, sharing love and kindness and being a positive support in your community shares Frank's legacy because that's what he cared about," she said. "He was kind to everyone and loved everybody."

Benedikt Larson's reporting is part of the Teen Journalism Institute, funded by STCU with support from Comma.

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