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Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
No Firefighter Is Surprised by What Just Happened in Idaho
Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. On Sunday, 20-year-old Wess Roley, it's alleged, started a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, then lay in wait for firefighters to respond. When they did, he apparently opened fire, killing Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison. He also critically wounded Coeur d'Alene Fire Department engineer David Tysdal. Roley was found dead, with a shotgun by his side, later that day. The attack dominated headlines, becoming a global story and immediately sparking political tribal skirmishes on social media. The enormous interest makes sense. It's a horrible tragedy. We expect this kind of thing when it comes to police officers or other professionals for whom violence is a tool of the trade. Hearing that other crisis responders, especially firefighters, who are unarmed and there only to help, have come under fire could be shocking. But not to me, and not, I suspect, to other firefighters. Last year, almost to the day, I gathered together in a sweltering high school auditorium with about 50 firefighters, EMTs, and a small cadre of cops to undergo rescue task force training, which focuses on how civilian personnel, like firefighters, can partner with armed law enforcement to render critical aid to victims in a mass-casualty incident. The training was highly effective, emphasizing command and control, triage, trauma life support, and casualty evacuation. It lasted just a few hours and was packed with critical information, so I tried to pay close attention. I'll admit that I did have to put in some effort. Because, for the most part, I'd already been through it when I took Tactical Combat Casualty Care training before deploying to Iraq in 2007. While tweaked somewhat to deal with a domestic incident (such as dealing with distraught parents during a school shooting), the Venn diagram for the two trainings was almost a circle. Indeed, the idea that responders to shooting incidents, whether armed or unarmed, should undergo TCCC training is an element of the 2013 Hartford Consensus. This was a kind of national throwing up of the hands that accepted that shootings could not be stopped, and shifted focus to a more effective response, recommending that responders adopt a tripartite mission when time is of the essence: 1) Stop the killing, 2) stop the dying, and 3) save as many as you can. The Hartford Consensus contains elements of a variety of mass casualty programs, including Federal Emergency Management Agency, emergency medical services protocols, advanced trauma life support, Stop the Bleed, and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, the civilian equivalent of TCCC. The protocols of the instruction were so eerily similar to my Iraq pre-deployment training as to evoke intense déjà vu, and not just in terms of the triage discussion—the brutal calculus wherein first responders make the impossible decision to focus overstretched resources on those who are most likely to be saved, with the tacit understanding that there are those who will have to wait, perhaps interminably, for help. I also recognized the trauma life support measures, from tourniquet application, to the instruction in how to correctly vent a sucking chest wound, to the direction to use an elbow, shoulder, or knee to apply pressure to a convex surface. We covered wound packing (stuffing the hole with the Curlex rolled gauze we habitually carried in Iraq for that purpose in the hopes of stopping bleeding), dealing with clotting powder, and stabilizing victims for transport. But the most striking commonality was the way this training taught unarmed first responders to move with armed operators in the 'warm zone,' an area where the active shooter was not immediately present but where a shooting threat could still manifest. Rescue task force guidance stridently reinforced the lesson that unarmed civilian firefighters like me would be required to move in the warm zone to assist with all of the duties required above, necessarily placing us at risk of … well … getting shot. As a hedge against this possibility, law enforcement officers would be assigned to our contact team with the duty of protecting us and engaging any suspects who opened fire. As a targeting officer (a kind of tactical intelligence analyst) in Iraq, I was armed, but using that weapon was not my job. I carried it as a last resort. Instead, I relied on the 'hard operators' in my team to keep me safe, knowing that if they fell, I had at least a means of holing up and shooting it out with the enemy until the quick reaction force could extract me. Much of the training I received before deploying to Iraq centered on how I could move and integrate with hard operators in my team, staying out of their way until I was needed. This instruction reflects the reality of rising levels of violence directed at firefighters. There are the instances when we have to respond to active shooter incidents, but also, there are the times people shoot at or assault us, as happened in Coeur d'Alene. In 2023 Drexel University's Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends noted a 69 percent increase in assaults on firefighters from 2021 to 2022 (from 350 to 593). Many of these incidents occur during medical calls, rather than fire responses. And this number may be an undercount, as FIRST looked only at those incidents reported in the media. I can personally attest that in the hypermasculine and stoic culture of the fire service, a minor assault that didn't result in injury or generate media attention could easily go unremarked on. Indeed, in the District of Columbia in 2023, the firefighters union complained of an increase in assaults against firefighters, describing the attacks as occurring 'fairly often.' The problem isn't confined to the United States. Three-quarters of German firefighters experienced some form of public violence during a response as of February of this year. A recent assault on a Canadian firefighter prompted changes to the criminal code to include firefighters and emergency medical services, and a small town in British Columbia authorized 15,000 Canadian dollars to purchase body armor for firefighters after an attack. While the impact of warfare is obviously a separate scenario, I would be remiss not to note the terrible toll Russia's invasion of Ukraine is taking on European firefighters. Numbers from the U.K. show that the figures are even worse for EMS responders, with whom firefighters usually work closely. The critical question is: why? The answer is complex, evolving, and desperately in need of attention. Spiraling distrust of institutions is an obvious culprit, and the tight bond between fire and police services, who often share resources, means that tensions in the rapport between the public and police are reflected on anyone showing up to a crisis with a uniform on. Then there's the increase in mental health–related calls, which frequently put firefighters in situations in which they are dealing with potentially unstable and reactive individuals like Roley, with the corresponding potential for violent outcomes. But the bottom line is that we don't know why this is happening, only that it is. The American fire service is largely dependent on volunteers and is already under increasing stress from climate change, a decline in volunteerism, and shifting technological demands. Violence against firefighters will only make this worse and may affect the decisionmaking of the people on which the entire system depends. I'm not getting paid for this—why am I risking my life? is a question Americans contemplating volunteering may be forgiven for asking. Given the trends, it's a question for which we owe them an answer. The time for formal, funded, and organized study of the reasons for violence against crisis responders is now.
National Post
01-07-2025
- National Post
20-year-old man accused of killing 2 Idaho firefighters had once aspired to be one
A 20-year-old man's life appeared to have begun to unravel in the months before authorities say he fatally shot two firefighters and severely wounded a third as they responded to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Article content Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle and his former roommate, T.J. Franks Jr., said he shaved off his long hair and started to 'kind of go downhill.' The two lived together for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, until Roley moved out in January, Franks said Monday. Article content Article content Article content Article content Roley, who authorities say took his own life after Sunday's shootings, is suspected of killing two battalion chiefs whose firefighting careers in Idaho spanned nearly half a century combined. The deaths of Frank Harwood, 42, with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, have left their colleagues reeling, resulting in their departments adding law enforcement to every call, no matter how routine. Article content 'I don't know that we're ever going to be able to guarantee people's peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this,' Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said. 'But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety of our responders.' Article content Roley had set a fire using flint at Canfield Mountain, a popular recreation area, according to authorities. The firefighters who rushed to the scene found themselves under fire and took cover behind fire trucks. Article content Article content 'There was an interaction with the firefighters,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. 'It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was.' Article content Two helicopters converged on the area, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley's body in the mountains, his firearm beside him. He had killed himself, the sheriff said. Article content Roley had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police, Norris said. A motive was still unknown, he said. Article content He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho 'for the better part of 2024,' although it was unclear why he was there, Norris said. Article content When Roley was living with Franks, his apartment cameras caught Roley throwing gang signs at them, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. Article content
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Idaho shooter's idyllic suburban day-job disguise that hid his obsession with Nazis and guns
Idaho firefighter sniper Wess Roley was working as an arborist and living in his van when he killed two emergency service personnel. Roley, 20, ambushed crews that had responded to a bush fire he set off with a flint fire starter while on Canfield Mountain, outside of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Sunday. At the time of the incident he was living out of his van, which was recovered at the scene, while working for a tree service in the area. Officials say Roley, who was 5-foot-8, took his own life after killing firefighters Frank Harwood, 42, and John Morrison, 52, and critically injuring Dave Tysdal, 47, during the rampage. His grandfather Dale Roley said his grandson came from a family of arborists, describing him as 'nervous', 'high strung' and 'kind of a loner' on Monday. According to local records, Roley's father Jason runs his own tree service business in nearby Priest River. It is unclear if he was working with him at the time of the killings. Former classmates have since revealed that Roley would graffiti his notebooks with drawings of swastikas and guns. Harry Standley had attended middle and high school with Roley, telling USA Today he would play the video game Call of Duty with him. According to Standley, fellow students recalled seeing the drawings and told the outlet: 'We were all pretty scared of him.' Dieter Denen, who also attended school with Roley, also recalled the swastika drawings. He told the outlet: 'We all thought he was just messing around — that that was his way of trying to stand out', describing him as trying to 'be edgy'. Standley said Roley left high school during his sophomore year, saying he believes he was expelled over 'some trouble with a girl'. According to him, Roley had also turned up at school with his hair shaved off, telling people he had dreams of joining the army. 'Everybody just thought he was weird. He was also obsessed with guns', he added. The Daily Mail had published images of Roley wearing a t-shirt of a death metal band on Monday, that have links with a known neo-Nazi. Officials said preliminary information indicates the suspect acted alone in the shooting, and detectives have not yet identified a motive. Police said Roley was born in California, and he also lived in Arizona before moving to Idaho. At a press conference on Monday, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris shared a picture of him that he had shared to his Instagram prior to the shootings. The photograph shows Roley wearing a balaclava with a coal-like substance smeared on his face, as well as a belt of rifle shells. He also shared a Bjork song hours before the shooting that included a chilling warning in its lyrics: 'I'm going hunting.' Norris said they had recovered his vehicle from the scene and said there was no sign of a manifesto inside, he did add that a full inventory was still to be carried out. His grandfather Dale also said that his grandson had dreams of working for the fire service. He told NBC News: 'He actually really respected law enforcement. He loved firefighters. It didn't make sense that he was shooting firefighters. 'I know he had been in contact to get a job with a fire department. He wanted to be part of a team that he sort of idolized.' 'Maybe he got rejected or something,' the stunned grandfather said, adding that his height might have prevented him from joining the department. Norris confirmed on Monday that his department 'had information' that Roley wanted to be a firefighter. The Sheriff also described the attack as a 'total ambush'. 'These firefighters did not have a chance,' he said. Harwood - an ex-Army National Guard combat engineer - served the county for 17 years and leaves behind a wife and two children, according to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way. Morrison served the town of Coeur d'Alene for over 28 years, Chief Tom Grief said in a statement. Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood (pictured right), 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison (pictured left), 52, were the two men killed by Roley Dave Tysdal (pictured), 47, was the third firefighter hit and is currently in hospital in critical condition Tysdal was the third firefighter hit and is currently in hospital in critical condition. He has been an engineer for the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department for 23 years. Authorities said he had two successful surgeries. Roley had never been arrested, though he'd had a brush with police for a minor trespass incident, and officers had conducted some 'welfare checks' on him. His body was pulled away from the scene just as the blaze began to spread across the mountain. Roley's family said in a statement: 'At this time, we, the family of Wess Roley would like to offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those whose lives were taken and to the community of Coeur d'Alene at large. 'There are no words that can suffice for this tragedy and the infinite losses suffered by those affected by this shooting. We do not understand why this happened or how this came about,' they continued. 'Our hearts and spirits are broken for the lost and hurting, and for our own loss as well.' They also noted that they will cooperate fully with the investigation while they, 'deal with the grief of this heinous tragedy in our own family.' The Nettleton Gulch Fire authorities say Roley started spread to 26 acres over Canfield Mountain overnight. By Monday afternoon, the fire was listed as being 'reasonably contained', after first responders 'stopped significant forward progress'.
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- The Guardian
Gunman's life went ‘downhill' in months before fatal attack on Idaho firefighters
A 20-year-old man's life appeared to have begun to unravel in the months before authorities say he fatally shot two firefighters and severely wounded a third as they responded to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle and his former roommate, TJ Franks Jr, said he shaved off his long hair and started to 'kind of go downhill'. The two lived together for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, until Roley moved out in January, Franks said on Monday. Roley, who authorities say took his own life after Sunday's shootings in Kootenai county, Idaho, is suspected of killing two battalion chiefs whose firefighting careers in the state spanned nearly half a century combined. The deaths of Frank Harwood, 42, with Kootenai county fire and rescue, and John Morrison, 52, with the Coeur d'Alene fire department, have left their colleagues reeling, resulting in their departments adding law enforcement to every call, no matter how routine. 'I don't know that we're ever going to be able to guarantee people's peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this,' the Kootenai county fire and rescue chief, Christopher Way, said. 'But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety of our responders.' Roley had set a fire using flint at Canfield Mountain, a popular recreation area, according to authorities. The firefighters who rushed to the scene found themselves under gunfire and took cover behind fire trucks. 'There was an interaction with the firefighters,' the Kootenai county sheriff, Bob Norris, said. 'It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was.' Two helicopters converged on the area, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley's body in the mountains, his firearm beside him. He had killed himself, the sheriff said. Roley had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police, Norris said. A motive was still unknown, he said. He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho 'for the better part of 2024', although it was unclear why he was there, Norris said. When Roley was living with Franks, his apartment cameras caught Roley throwing gang signs at them, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbors reported that Roley's vehicle had been left running for about 12 hours. Franks said Roley was asleep in his room and said he forgot about the vehicle. Hours after Sunday's shooting, people gathered along interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 35 miles (56km) from Coeur d'Alene. Governor Brad Little ordered US and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. 'All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before,' he said in a statement. Harwood, one of the victims of the shooting, had been with the county fire department for 17 years, Way said during a news conference on Monday. Harwood was married and had two children, and he also was a veteran of the army national guard. Morrison, who was also killed, started his career with the Coeur d'Alene fire department in 1996 and had also worked as a paramedic. David Tysdal, 47, a Coeur d'Alene fire department fire engineer. sustained gunshot wounds and was in critical condition. Authorities said he had two successful surgeries. 'We still are in shock and are struggling to understand why someone would target unarmed, selfless public servants,' Coeur d'Alene's mayor, Woody McEvers, said. By Monday afternoon, the fire was 'reasonably contained', and responders had 'stopped significant forward progress', Way said. The Idaho department of lands said it had burned about 26 acres (10.5 hectares).
CBC
01-07-2025
- CBC
Man accused of killing 2 Idaho firefighters had once aspired to be one
A 20-year-old man's life appeared to have begun to unravel in the months before authorities say he fatally shot two firefighters and severely wounded a third as they responded to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle and his former roommate T.J. Franks Jr. said he shaved off his long hair and started to "kind of go downhill." The two lived together for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, until Roley moved out in January, Franks said Monday. Roley, who authorities say took his own life after Sunday's shootings, is suspected of killing two battalion chiefs whose firefighting careers in Idaho spanned nearly half a century combined. The deaths of Frank Harwood, 42, with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, have left their colleagues reeling, resulting in their departments adding law enforcement to every call, no matter how routine. "I don't know that we're ever going to be able to guarantee people's peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this," Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said. "But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety of our responders." Roley had set a fire using flint at Canfield Mountain, a popular recreation area, according to authorities. The firefighters who rushed to the scene found themselves under fire and took cover behind fire trucks. "There was an interaction with the firefighters," Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. "It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was." Two helicopters converged on the area, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley's body in the mountains, his firearm beside him. He had killed himself, the sheriff said. Roley had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police, Norris said. A motive was still unknown, he said. He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho "for the better part of 2024," although it was unclear why he was there, Norris said. When Roley was living with Franks, his apartment cameras caught Roley throwing gang signs at them, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. WATCH | Sniper ambushes responding firefighters: Sniper ambushes firefighters in Idaho, at least 2 dead 1 day ago Duration 2:30 The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbours reported that Roley's vehicle had been left running for about 12 hours. Franks said Roley was asleep in his room and said he forgot about the vehicle. Hours after Sunday's shooting, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 56 kilometres from Coeur d'Alene. Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honour the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. "All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis, but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before," he said in a statement. Harwood, one of the victims of the shooting, had been with the county fire department for 17 years, Way said during a news conference Monday. Harwood was married and had two children, and he also was a veteran of the Army National Guard. Morrison, who was also killed, started his career with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department in 1996 and had also worked as a paramedic. Coeur d'Alene Fire Department fire engineer David Tysdal, 47, sustained gunshot wounds and was in critical condition. Authorities said he had two successful surgeries. "We still are in shock and are struggling to understand why someone would target unarmed, selfless public servants," said Coeur d'Alene Mayor Woody McEvers. By Monday afternoon, the fire was "reasonably contained," and responders had "stopped significant forward progress," Way said. The Idaho Department of Lands said it had burned about 10.5 hectares.
