Bodycam Released in Deadly Firefighter Ambush

Bodycam footage reveals a deadly ambush on firefighters in northern Idaho, detailing the intense rescue efforts and active shooter situation.

Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.

Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.

Key Takeaways

Firefighters can face life-threatening violence even during routine emergency responses.
Effective communication and quick coordination between fire and law enforcement are vital in active shooter scenarios.
Use of tactical gear, drones, and armored vehicles is crucial in managing and rescuing personnel in hostile environments.
Warning from critically injured personnel can prevent additional casualties.
Situational awareness and caution are necessary when approaching potentially dangerous scenes.

What the video covers

On June 29th, 2025, firefighters responding to a brush fire in northern Idaho were ambushed by a shooter wearing tactical gear.
Battalion Chief John Morrison, Engineer David Tisdale, and Battalion Chief Frank Harwood were critically injured in the attack.
Engineer Tisdale managed to warn arriving crews, preventing further casualties despite his critical injuries.
Law enforcement and rescue teams quickly established a perimeter and deployed drones and armored vehicles to secure the area.
Firefighters were pinned down in the upper parking lot, unsure of the shooter's location and number.
Multiple rescue attempts were made under heavy gunfire, with armored vehicles extracting wounded personnel.
The shooter was described as a white male, approximately 5 feet tall, wearing green tactical or ranger gear.
Communication between fire and law enforcement units was critical in coordinating the rescue and securing the scene.
The video captures the chaos, danger, and bravery involved in responding to an active shooter during an emergency call.
The incident highlights the risks firefighters face beyond fire hazards, including violent attacks during emergency responses.

Chapters

What triggered the ambush on the firefighters?

The firefighters encountered Wes Roelly near a reported brush fire, who initially agreed to move his vehicle but instead donned tactical gear and ambushed them.

How did the firefighters avoid further casualties after the ambush began?

Engineer David Tisdale, despite being critically injured, managed to warn arriving crews about the active shooter, preventing them from walking into the ambush.

What tactics and equipment were used to secure the scene and rescue the wounded?

Law enforcement and fire personnel used drones for surveillance, armored vehicles like Bearcats for protection, and coordinated perimeter security to safely extract the wounded firefighters.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Hey, we got movement. Hey, we got movement down the street. On June 29th, 2025, around 1:40 p.m. in northern Idaho, Battalion Chief John Morrison and Engineer David Tisdale of the Kur Dean Fire Department, along with Battalion Chief Frank Harwood of Kenai

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[music] County Fire and Rescue, drove up to the upper parking lot of Canfield Mountain after reports of a small brush fire in the area. There they encountered 20-year-old Wes Roelly standing beside [music] his pickup truck. The firefighters asked him to move his

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vehicle so they could reach the fire. He agreed, but instead of leaving, Rolley put on tactical gear, slipped [music] into the brush, and prepared an ambush.

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Minutes later, Roelly opened fire. Morrison, Harwood, and Tisdale [music] were all struck by gunfire. Additional crews still en route to the fire had no idea an ambush had [music] taken place.

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Around 2 p.m., more fire personnel arrived and saw the wounded firefighters. Despite being [music] critically injured, Engineer Tisdale managed to call out and warn them. Is off down.

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We're not having any response from the physical thing. I don't see [music] anybody around me. She was wearing some green, like military maybe.

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Tisdale's warning stopped the arriving crews from walking directly into the active ambush. But up on the mountain, firefighters were already pinned down, wounded, trapped, and unsure how many shooters were still out there.

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Right now, there's an active shooter zone. They're shot. BC3 is down. BC1's down. Everybody shot up here. Law enforcement code three now up here.

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Engine brush 551. Do not come up here. We need law enforcement immediately. They just told us two firefighters got shot. Where got shot?

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That's going to be that upper parking lot. 2310 coming down now. 43. Can you please pay please?

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Hey, where's the shooter? Need to find out more information where he central. Is there anybody around the city that can possibly get the arrest?

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I will work on getting around. I'm at the base of the hill. I'm getting up in hard place.

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See if you can pitch drones too. I need at least two or three cops around the base. Copy. Two or three law enforcement officers at the perimeter of the base.

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Not great. A 2310 is taking command right now. I'm with FS19 and some other Fed law enforcement rangers.

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Yeah. Okay. Get behind something. 33. The command post is going to be base of the hill. I'm with FS19 and a Ranger approximately halfway up. It appears they're trying to draw us into an ambush. I need both bearcats as soon as

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possible. I need a thermal drone up here as soon as possible. Uh, we're just I'm going to set up security down here. They're heading up with a react team, a SWAT en route. So, I'm just going to post up here to add

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security for them 'cause they're uncovered in case someone comes blasting down. Up there, though.

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There is they're headed up the hill right now. There's one one K9 and a fed unit.

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I need a direction of the shooter or last known direction of the shooter. Hey guys, everybody behind vehicles and stay behind vehicles. So, get on this side of vehicles if you can. We don't know where shooters are at right now. Okay, we need

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to get this out of the way so the bearcat can go by. We're holding here till the bearcat that they're up and up at the parking lot.

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Let's make sure the bearcat can get through. Once the bearcat gets in, we're going to roll up. We're going to grab those dudes and get them out.

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Are you getting drone? Central 2379, we have drone on scene. 648. Looks like he's getting ready to launch. Hey guys, we still don't have eyes on where the shooters are at. They can be moving anywhere. Please get behind vehicles

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just because we don't want any more casualties. I don't want to give anyone easy targets. Get behind vehicles for me on this side of vehicles if we could.

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They're up here somewhere. Hey dude, get behind cover in case that mother is up here somewhere.

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They're pinned down in the upper parking lot right now and I believe the shots came from above them. So, anything that you can provide as far as visual on someone trying to ambush or anything?

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Uh, we have unknown direction where they're at. I want to stay on gun just in case.

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2310 2379 drone is in the air. Firefighters shot. That fire is human cause and they just shot the battalion chief. Two active shooters up there.

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Oh my god. We tried to cross in there and we went in the last two motorcycles that came out said they shot the battalion jeep and shoot anybody who goes towards come over here.

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Get up there for right now. Rescue. I did everybody. Let's do it. How many do we have now? Do you know? We got two two firemen and might be a deputy down.

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Have a city cop drive. You want a city cop? Can you drive? Can you drive?

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Uh, I'll drive it. I'll drive it. You got it. Yeah, the four it. I've got three.

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We got at least four firefighters that are down. Four firefighters. There was rumor of a deputy down. I don't know where that came from.

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They can't have two, four, six, eight, and then 10. Okay. Do an officer rescue and a good perimeter 360.

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We don't know where it's coming from. Okay, we know where they're at. Upper parking lot is all we know. Right where the fire is.

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I got to respond up to you now. Fire down there was saying they're coming from the direction of the fire.

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Hey, you Hey, when we get there, you two are grabbing a dude. All right. Me, you, and FS19. Where you at?

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We're going to provide exterior security. You three are going to load tubes into the Marcat. Okay. Okay.

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We're not going to need to get out. You're not on the SWAT team or get out.

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How how much farther up there are they? Literally 25 ft. We don't know. They said the last group that came out said there were two feet.

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Here's what we're going to do. All right. We're going to go up armor up together.

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We're just going to get out of here. Oh [ __ ] Oh, someone's car just went down the ravine. And we just had a patrol car down the hill.

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Somebody go check on him. Go check on him. Go. Go. Okay. They say it's empty.

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Yeah. Hey, car coming up. Watch out. Hey, I'm not being paranoid. Moving around. Parking lot's right there, right? That's up and around.

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Okay. So, it should be right there. And they're all the guys that are down are all down at the There's a bowl up at the top there. It's probably where they're hiding.

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More on here for a garden up there. Okay, you guys good? Okay, you guys point out that there's a trail. We got other trails right up here. It's quite a ways up. Probably about 50 yards up is a

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trail that comes across. Hey, parking lots that way. Keep eyes up on the hill. Just stay outboard up this way. Keep behind cover. The parking lot is right here. We don't know where shots are coming from.

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Let's move up here to this front car. At least you've got cover 'cause if it's coming in from up here and they've got a trail up here on this one here. So I've got your back over here.

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While there's no footage from inside the Bearcat during the first rescue attempt, what happens [music] next only makes the situation more dangerous, leading to a second rescue attempt later ahead.

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There's all operators are moving. Two deadly shot. Is that just saying shots fired? [ __ ] That's where we're going.

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Crap. Jump in this car right here. Yep. Another fire. No, that's smoke. Smoke. Oh, the deploy. Okay.

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Smoke. See smoke. So, they deployed two smokes. Three smokes. Four. They're calling for No. Where you at? Try and find their guys, I'm assuming.

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Two extracting three. Two Franks panels. So, we've got three they're bringing out and two that are down.

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That's gunfire. Guys want to go up. Hold, hold, hold. Shots fired. They're in armor. These are not armor.

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They're in armor. He said two Frank, one ambulatory, and two more that are wounded. Ambulance is set. Verdicted. Child Luke is backed up, ready to go.

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Lions 18, if you're driving, just keep heading out on those. You'll run into the ambulance.

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I'm going to watch down just in case over here 'cause I don't have anything over there.

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Coming out. Move move move. The Bearcat's first push [music] into the upper lot was met with gunfire. When it reappeared, it carried the surviving firefighters, including a critically injured [music] David Tisdale, down to waiting medics. But the two battalion

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chiefs remained trapped above and crews still didn't know if more firefighters were hiding [music] in the brush. They would have to try again.

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Hey, you guys need to take cover. Hey, we got movement. HEY, WE GOT MOVEMENT DOWN THE STREET.

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Movement down there, guy in Gray. Hey, watch down the road. Come back. Come back.

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HANDS UP. More shots BEING FIRED. MORE SHOTS BEING FIRED. HEY, GRAB THAT PA. Grab the PA. I got Grab that PA. Pass to me. Walking towards us. There is more shot.

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WALK THIS WAY. WALK TO THE SOUND OF OUR VOICE. COME TO THE VEHICLES NOW. WALK THIS WAY.

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Now walk this way. THIS IS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. WALK THIS WAY. HANDS UP. QUICKLY. WALK THIS WAY.

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QUICKLY. WALK THIS WAY. HEY, WATCH UP on the hill. This way. Keep walking. Keep your hands up.

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Hey, this is a high powered rifle, guys. Yeah, he shot us with a rifle.

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To the center. Hands up to the center. Active shooter up on the hill. Come on. Come on.

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Back here. All the way back here. Run all the way down. Run out here. Down the hill. Down the hill. Ratchet.

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One shot up. Hey, he said high powered gun. Stay behind cover. Do not got shot at from up on the hill.

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Okay. When we were doing the extract. I don't know which which side. Get that dog over here.

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Left like that. There it is again. Another shot. Another shot. Another shot. That was definitely high.

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Let's get back. I lost connection with the drone. Is there anybody left up there?

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Yeah, we still got to go back. Get your head down. Come on. Get down it, Mario.

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You're good. Harvey, where are you at? I'm moving behind you cuz I have this moving. Put them in the backseat of this car.

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Yep. Sounds like they're coming from over there. Yep. So, I'm keeping an eye on the long road here.

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We got air warning route. Check your weapons. We're all safe. Good. We have an unknown. There's a fifth minute up there that's down. We don't know. We don't believe he's up there, but we're not bothered. Fire needs to

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get full accountability of who they got, if they're missing anybody. If he starts shooting at us. Okay.

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Return fire as appropriate. Where's my drone gun? He's drone's down, dude. Hey, get my jump. Don't pass any hurry.

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Jump in. Let's go. Your drone. No. As the Bearcat moved toward the upper lot for its second rescue attempt, officers braced for the possibility of another attack. [music] This was the only footage showing the ground where the ambush happened, and they were

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heading back in to reach the two battalion chiefs and anyone else who might still be pinned down or wounded.

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Right now, we're just trying to recon. Where do you want me, Brock? Keep going. Get him the out of here.

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Be careful if he's a shooter. Let me see your hands. COME HERE RIGHT NOW.

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GET OVER HERE. Get in here, Tony. You got anything on you? Yes sir. All all camo green.

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Hurry up. There's a shooter. Let's go. I can't tell. So I know Morrison's down right here.

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I got two. No movement. They're in exactly the same. One around directly mass mass.

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One looks center mass. One looks through the side window and he says, "Joseph, you got no signs of life." We're going to need the next armor to probably pull them out.

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Let me pull forward. We'll use the fire truck as secondary cover. As close to that truck as you can, buddy. I need you to get closer to the fire truck cuz he's up high. He's shooting as soon as we open that door.

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Don't back up. All right. I want you to back up this cool dog. We're not going to fight you.

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Bike rider. Bike rider. Come down the hill. Let's go. Let's go. Grab that guy. Where's he at?

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Right on the side. He's stuck. GET IN THE TRUCK. GET IN THE TRUCK. GET IN THE TRUCK.

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We're going to put these in a patrol car. We get them in order to get them out. I don't care about the patrol right now.

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I'd rather just get in the car and go, but it's going to be a cluster to get all these vehicles turned around. We'd have to back down and we already had one go off over the hill. It would be

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smarter to jump on the side of the bearcat from where we know shots are coming.

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We're clearing out. Yes. But how are we doing our cars? That's what I'm saying. They want to get us in a bear. Let's move. My truck's right there. If I can get a little bit.

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Okay. Are we backing down? We're not going to go up and turn around. I know that.

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Yeah. I like your uh your intel. Let's get all the control assets out of there.

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However, I want to set up containment with him. So, maybe we leap frog one armor in place so that we can set and then bring have the other one pull all the other officers and deputies that don't have cover.

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I have intel on shooter. One of the fire dudes that we extricated got to a confrontation with a male, white male, 5 foot n brown or ranger wearing all green. I need everybody to start working on identifying who that

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is. Once officers identified the shooter as Wes Rolley, investigators were able to legally ping his phone and watch for movement. But the signal never changed.

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Nearly 5 hours had passed since the ambush, and with no movement from Rolley's phone, crews sent drones back to the upper lot one final time.

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There, lying face down in the brush, they found Roelly dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound with the same shotgun used in the ambush [music] beside his body. In the aftermath, investigators determined the brush fire had been intentionally set [music] by

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Rolley using jars of pesto found at the scene and improvised accelerant. The fire he set grew to 26 acres, burning into Monday before crews finally extinguished [music] it. Engineer David Tisdale, the third firefighter at the top of the mountain that day, survived a

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devastating gunshot wound to the back. The slug punctured his lung, broke ribs, [music] and shattered his collarbone.

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Unable to move his lower body, he reached for his radio and made the call that warned incoming crews, a transmission that saved countless lives and would later earn him the Medal of Honor for his actions. Tisdale retired after 24 years of service and continues

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his rehabilitation process to this day. Also earning a Medal of Honor that day was firefighter Fritz Weedenhof, who made the emergency radio calls, alerting incoming crews while pinned down above.

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Three Kenai County Sheriff's deputies were also recognized with the Attorney General's Medal of Honor for their actions, improvising [music] a rapid plan in an unprecedented situation.

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Battalion Chiefs John Morrison and Frank Harwood were killed in the ambush. Morrison served more than 28 years with Cordelene Fire, and Harwood served 17 years with Coupnai County Fire and Rescue. Their loss leaves behind a community and family that will never

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forget them. [bell] [bell] [bell]

Topics:firefighter ambushactive shooterbodycam footagefirefighter rescuenorthern Idahobrush firelaw enforcement responsetactical gearemergency responsefirefighter safety

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