Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris speaks during a press conference the day after a shooter ambushed and killed multiple firefighters responding to a wildfire at Canfield Mountain Monday, June 30, 2025, in Hayden, Idaho. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Local agencies said they prepare the best they can but that premeditated acts of violence, like the one that occurred Sunday, are hard to manage; IV fire crews wear bulletproof vests

Top officials at fire agencies around Southern Oregon reacted with a mix of heartbreak and dismay to the weekend shooting in Idaho during which firefighters were ambushed by gunfire while responding to a wildfire call in a mountainous area north of Coeur d’Alene.

Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to reports of a wildfire Sunday and encountered 20-year-old transient Wess Roley, who had been living in his car.

Based on information released Monday by Kootenai County Sheriff’s officials, firefighters asked Roley — who was found deceased following the incident — to move his vehicle just moments before Roley opened fire. 

Fire crews can be heard, via dispatch recordings released online, urgently requesting backup, declaring, “Everybody’s shot up here … send law enforcement now!”

Kootenai County Sheriff’s officials, who believe  the fire and ambush were both planned, released the identity of the victims Monday.

They include Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52,  a 28-year veteran of the department, and Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, a 17-year employee of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Army veteran and father of two.

A third victim, 47-year-old Fire Engineer David Tysdal underwent multiple surgeries following the shooting and was listed in critical condition.

Fire officials around the Rogue Valley who were distressed for their Idaho comrades said safety protocols and enhanced training have increased in recent years for EMT and firefighters to try and ensure first responder safety.

Medford Fire Department Chief Eric Thompson, who posted to the department Facebook page that his department was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss,” said firefighters of his department train for a wide range of incident types alongside law enforcement and partner agencies.

“Situational awareness and adaptability are critical to that training,” Thompson said.

“While every call is different, safety is always a top priority, and our crews are prepared to assess evolving conditions and respond accordingly.”

Applegate Valley Fire District Chief Chris Wolfard surmised that no amount of training could prepare firefighters for a premeditated attack.

“Violence against first responders is not unheard of. It happens. We’ve had guns pulled on us in the past, but it is pretty rare and always more of a spur of the moment, emotional reaction. … nothing like what just happened in Idaho,” Wolfard said Monday, noting that his district’s firefighters don’t respond to volatile scenes that have not been secured by law enforcement.

“In our EMT classes and fire classes, we train for situational awareness and how to call for help without alerting the individual. If somebody is premeditating an attack, I don’t know how anybody would begin to train for that,” he added.

“That’s just next level.”

Fire Chief Mike Hussey, who leads Jackson County Fire Districts 3 and 5, remembered an incident in Eugene in recent years during which an individual suffering from mental illness lit his house on fire and shot at first responders who showed up to help.

“The incidents thankfully don’t happen often and they’re not something we highlight. … We’re just always vigilant and try to pay attention and consider the unexpected,” Hussey told the Times on Monday.

“Life safety is always our No. 1 priority for ourselves and the citizens we protect. We’ll back up if the scene is not safe for us. … We’ll take calculated risks to protect others, but we want to protect our crews, too.”

Illinois Valley Fire District Chief John Holmes said firefighters of his district wear bulletproof vests and carry mace.

“We got the vests under my predecessor, probably eight years ago. We were getting calls to domestic responses because of the (Josephine County) sheriff’s department not being staffed at the time,” Holmes said, noting that the vests have been a priority despite tough financial times for departments around the state.

“We were able to get enough vests by going out for a grant and what we’ve done in our annual budget is make sure we are up to date on the vests. I’ll never say no to having those,” he added.

“Every call we run on, we wear a vest unless it’s a confirmed structure fire. Granted there will probably come a time we’ll have to wear them to structure fires, too.”

Holmes said he lost a close friend, a fire captain in Southern California, who was shot and killed in recent years during a structure fire call.

“During EMT and firefighter classes, you’re trained to look at your surroundings, check for weapons and know how to get out quickly,” he said.

“Back when we had the Slater Fire, we had a report in Takelma of a person with a gun. All operations stopped until we knew the scene had been secure.”

Holmes, who posted about Sunday’s incident to his department Facebook page, said the Idaho shooting drove home the necessity of added safety measures.

“We’ve got great crews out here who have complied with wearing the vests,” he said.

“There was some feeling of, ‘Why are we doing this?’ at first, but now you can go back and say, ‘OK, this is why.’”

Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or buffy.pollock@rv-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.