COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Hundreds of community members lined the streets of downtown Coeur d’Alene Thursday to honor Fire Battalion Chief John Morrison, who was killed alongside a colleague while responding to an intentionally set brush fire near Canfield Mountain in June.
Morrison and Fire Battalion Chief Frank Hardwood were shot and killed in what officials describe as an ambush while responding to the brush fire. The tragic incident has deeply affected the Coeur d’Alene community and first responders nationwide.
A somber procession carried Morrison from the English Funeral Chapel to the Hagadone Event Center, where friends, family and members of the firefighter community gathered for what attendees called a celebration of life that Morrison would have appreciated.
“A lot of laughter and tears. But John would have wanted us to laugh. John would have wanted us to tell jokes,” said Gabe Eckert, a colleague from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.
Morrison, who served as a dedicated battalion chief for over 20 years, was remembered for having a larger-than-life personality and dedicating his life to helping others. But above all else, those who knew him said he loved being a father.
“First and foremost he loved his family. That rings true throughout. Jill and Joe were everything to him,” Eckert said, referring to Morrison’s wife and son.
Eckert, who worked closely with Morrison, struggled to capture the impact his colleague had on the department and community.
“The word I’ve kind of been coming back to this last week is … he wasn’t just a person. He was a figure. And he was a figurehead in this department,” Eckert said. “He was my brother, and I’ll remember him the rest of my life.”
The funeral drew attendees from across the country, including firefighters who had never met Morrison but felt compelled to honor his service. Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Firefighters, attended the service.
“Firefighting, it transcends the globe, it transcends language, it transcends currency. It transcends the borders in your country. We’re all in this together. When we lose one firefighter, we all feel that loss,” Kelly said.
The International Association of Firefighters has assisted with funeral planning in recent weeks and is prioritizing peer support groups for firefighters affected by the tragic losses.
“We’ve got a lot of healing to do… we’ve got a lot of healing to do and we’ve got to do some rebuilding,” Eckert said.
The department has already chosen Morrison’s replacement, though officials have not yet announced who will fill the role.
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