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Coeur d'Alene leaders, first responders and community describe grief after Sunday incident
Summary
City council members, counsel and the city—s former fire chief praised community support and described deep grief among first responders following an incident the council referenced as occurring the prior Sunday.
City officials in Coeur d'Alene opened their July 1 council meeting by addressing the community—s response to an incident that occurred the previous Sunday and its effect on first responders.
Christy (counsel) thanked Councilmember Wood for using her public information experience to coordinate communications and praised the public—s response: "There were no agendas and protests. There were just people in unity, standing together, showing love and support for those who protect us every day." She said the turnout and behavior at a community event had given her strength during a difficult time.
Councilmember Wood said line-of-duty trauma is hard to explain and emphasized the importance of community support for firefighters and police officers. Councilmember Gookin described the event as unexpected and said city personnel and emergency crews adapted and performed under pressure.
Councilmember Gabriel, identified in the meeting as a former fire chief, said the department is "devastatingly hurting" but praised the community—s gestures and the firefighters— sense of duty. "The hole that was in our hearts and in our community is so big, it will be nearly impossible to fill," Gabriel said, adding that many outside fire crews came but chose to return to their home districts because local firefighters wanted to remain serving their community.
During remarks, officials named two firefighters and one patient in relation to recent events: John Morrison, Frank Hardaway (Kootenai Fire), and David Tisdell (hospitalized at Kootenai Health). The council did not take formal action on those matters during the meeting.
Mayor and councilmembers encouraged continued community support and noted ongoing recovery and after-action reviews by public safety agencies. No policy proposals or votes related to the incident were recorded on the July 1 agenda.
The meeting also included a brief recognition of volunteer and community assistance; staff noted a local mobile truck-repair vendor, Poms (mobile truck repair), provided tire repair assistance for an engine without charging the city during a recent emergency response.
Officials asked residents to continue supporting first responders and indicated the city and departments will conduct reviews and follow-up as appropriate.
