Thursday afternoon, someone dropped off dinner for the crew at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department's Foster Avenue station.

Over the past year, that is not unusual. 

"It still happens today," said Craig Etherton, fire marshal.  

A steady supply of snacks, desserts and remembrances have been left at Coeur d'Alene fire stations since the ambush shooting on Canfield Mountain on June 29, 2025, that took the lives of two firefighters and left a third seriously injured. 

"You name it, people brought it, just to be supportive," Etherton said. "Nobody had to cook around here probably for a month." 

Etherton and Deputy Chief Bill Deruyter sat down with The Press on Thursday to answer a few questions about how firefighters are doing since the deaths of Coeur d'Alene Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and the serious wounding of Coeur d’Alene firefighter/engineer Dave Tysdal. 

Etherton said firefighters are still very much affected by what happened a year ago. They wear pins, bracelets and tattoos in memory of their fallen brothers. 

"I feel like they are doing their best to get back to their new normal," he said. "Normal won't ever be normal for us again. 

"There is a new normal and I think everybody is trying to work within what that new normal is," Etherton said. "In general, normal around here is anything but." 

Deruyter said there have been many changes in the department over the past year, with a new chief, retirements and promotions. 

"We continue to work. We continue to serve the citizens," he said. "The citizens supported us and have continued to help us through. We can't be more thankful for what they have done for us and shown us." 

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Capt. Seth Hohenstreet said while the past year has been the most challenging and difficult year in KCFR's history, it has also been a year that has revealed love and support in ways they had never experienced before.  

"As we continue to grieve and adjust to the loss of our dear friend and mentor, Battalion Chief Frank J. Harwood, we have not done it alone," he wrote. "The outpouring of love, prayer, and support from the community and our partner agencies has been tremendous." 

He said support was given without measure from the first moments following the tragedy, through the funeral and grief process, and throughout the year since.  

"We have witnessed thousands of people standing in honor of Frank and in support of us. So many have held flags and signs expressing love, and the donations of food and tokens of encouragement that have poured into our fire stations were overwhelming," Hohenstreet wrote.  

He said as Kootenai County Fire and Rescue looks back over this last year, "we find ourselves in a place of deep appreciation and genuine gratitude to everyone within our agency and our community who has helped us navigate this unexpected and unwanted journey.  

"Please know that we have been deeply touched and are profoundly grateful," he wrote. 

Deruyter, who will be retiring July 16 after a 30-year firefighting career, said firefighters will never forget what happened and the men who lost their lives. 

"We will always remember. It is part of our history," he said.  

When it comes to policies, responses to calls, nothing has changed 

"We get a wildland fire on Canfield tomorrow, we're still going to respond to it and we're going to put the fire out," Deruyter said. "We might take a little bit of pause because it still hits. Canfield has this history now." 

Etherton said Morrison, Harwood and Tysdal did everything right that day. 

"What happened was unprecedented," he said. "Something completely unexpected." 

Etherton said while firefighters have received help to deal with the emotional and mental trauma of what happened, and some continue to struggle to come to terms with it, they never stopped serving the people. 

"We've been in the trucks. We've been in the seats. That hasn't changed at all," he said.  

Deruyter played golf with Morrison three days prior to the fatal shooting and was duty chief the day of the attack. 

"As unfortunate as it is, we had a job to do that day," he said.  

He said the impact didn't hit him for a few days. Then, he needed time to grieve.

"It has hit me in different times in different ways," Deruyter said. 

Both men emphasized that the community helped them through it.

"We are thankful for everything they did," Etherton said. 

They said firefighters will always serve to the best of their abilities. 

"When the community needs something, we're going to be there," Deruyter said.  

    Harwood
  

    Tysdal