Kootenai County first responders were recognized at the state Capitol on Tuesday alongside four other Idaho law enforcement officers and firefighters, receiving the state’s highest civilian award for acts of extraordinary bravery. Five recipients from the North Idaho region were honored for their actions during the deadly ambush on Canfield Mountain in June 2025, while others were recognized for life-saving rescues across the Panhandle and Treasure Valley, as first reported by cdapress.com.
Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Raúl Labrador presented the Idaho Medal of Honor to the nine individuals during a ceremony in Boise. The award, established by the Idaho Legislature in 2004, recognizes gallantry and courage that place recipients at significant risk to their own lives. With this year’s honorees, the total number of Idahoans to receive the distinction has risen from 92.
Kootenai County Heroes Recognized for Canfield Mountain Response
The majority of Tuesday’s recipients were Kootenai County personnel who responded to the violent attack on June 29, 2025, near the Nettleton Gulch trailhead. A gunman ambushed wildland firefighters and law enforcement officers while they worked to contain a blaze, killing Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood.
Deputies Harvey Ballman, Arek Brock, and Joshua Orr were honored for their critical role in suppressing the shooter. Ballman arrived on the scene with a K-9 unit and immediately requested tactical support, including a Bearcat armored vehicle and SWAT resources. When Brock and Orr responded, the trio engaged the attacker using gas and specialized tactics to neutralize the threat.
The deputies also conducted three separate trips up the steep hillside under active gunfire to extract wounded firefighters and residents. Their actions ensured that injured personnel could receive medical attention despite the ongoing danger posed by the gunman.
Fire service leaders David Tysdal and Fritz Wiedenhoff were also recognized for their conduct during the crisis. Engineer Tysdal was shot in the back, resulting in paralysis, but managed to key his radio with his chin to warn other responders of the ambush. Captain Wiedenhoff maintained composure after losing radio contact, moving toward the firefighters’ position and crawling under gunfire to locate a working radio to coordinate efforts.
Rescues Across Idaho Earn State Honors
Beyond the Canfield Mountain tragedy, other Idaho first responders were honored for individual acts of valor that saved lives in high-risk situations. Pocatello Police Corporal Francisco Torres was recognized for his actions on July 21, 2025, when he responded to a 911 call from an 81-year-old woman.
Torres entered a home engulfed in flames and filled with smoke without protective gear. He dragged the unconscious woman out of the structure; she was not breathing upon extraction but began breathing again as Torres prepared to administer chest compressions.
Pocatello Police Sergeant Justin Buck was honored for a rescue on May 9, 2025, involving a suicidal man on an overpass on Benton Street. Buck secured a tether around himself, approached the man on the ledge, and worked with fire department personnel to bring him down safely.
In Bingham County, Idaho Falls Senior Firefighters Travis Adams and Jeremy F. Newman were recognized for an off-duty rescue on October 5, 2025. The pair responded to a two-vehicle crash where a car was overturned and partially submerged in a canal, trapping four occupants. Without swift-water training or specialized gear, Adams and Newman entered the cold, fast-moving water and successfully pulled all four people to safety.
A Tradition of Courage
The Idaho Medal of Honor has been awarded since 2004 to individuals who demonstrate exceptional bravery in the line of duty. Governor Little emphasized the selflessness of this year’s recipients during the ceremony.
“These nine Idahoans showed extraordinary courage when their fellow Idahoans needed them most,” Little told the Coeur d’Alene Press. “They put themselves in harm’s way to save others, knowing the risks they faced.”
Attorney General Labrador noted the personal sacrifice involved in these acts. “Each recipient of this year’s Medal of Honor put aside any thought of personal safety to save the lives of strangers,” he stated.
The recognition of Kootenai County personnel follows the earlier state honors awarded to other first responders involved in the Canfield Mountain attack, as previously covered by Idaho News Network. The awards underscore the ongoing commitment of local agencies in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, and throughout Kootenai County to protect residents despite significant personal risk.