COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Under a cloudy sky, the North Idaho community gathered Monday to remember two firefighters killed one year ago in the deadly Canfield Mountain ambush.
Battalion Chief John Morrison of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and Battalion Chief Frank Harwood of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue were shot and killed while responding to a fire. Fire and law enforcement agencies from across the area joined family, friends and colleagues at the remembrance ceremony.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Pete Holley reflected on the lasting impact of that day.
“That day changed the trajectory of our organizations. It’s brought us closer together. It’s changed my life, it’s changed the families’ life,” Holley said.
The family, friends and colleagues of both men have carried that grief every day since. On Monday, Harwood’s wife, Meghan, and Morrison’s son, Joe, reflected on their loss, the people who helped them through it and the legacies their loved ones left behind.
Meghan Harwood spoke about the kind of man her husband was.
“He knew exactly what mattered most. He showed up for it every single day. And that is who we lost. And that is who we carry with us every day,” she said.
She also credited the broader first responder community for stepping up for her family in the aftermath.
“The broader first responder community stepped in for our family in ways that I won’t fully be able to put into words,” Meghan Harwood said.
Joe Morrison, who called his father his best friend, used a significant portion of his remarks to advocate for gun reform and to turn tragedy into change.
“Gun violence is not a partisan issue in the very least. Bullets do not care who they hit — Republicans, Democrats. It does not matter. This is a human rights issue,” Joe Morrison said.
Meghan Harwood also described how she has kept moving forward in the year since her husband’s death — leaning on their daughters and the routines of daily life.
“My life raft without question is our girls. Driving them to practice, doing the routine, making sure dinner is on the table, and showing up. That’s how we honor Frank, and that is how I keep going,” she said.
Every speaker at Monday’s ceremony thanked the community for the cards, kind messages and compassion that the families say saved them.
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