Governor Little and Attorney General Labrador Award Idaho Medal of Honor to Nine First Responders

BOISE, ID - Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Raúl Labrador presented the Idaho Medal of Honor to nine first responders Tuesday at the Idaho Capitol, recognizing five law enforcement officers and four firefighters for acts of courage that went beyond what their jobs required.

"These nine Idahoans showed extraordinary courage when their fellow Idahoans needed them most. They put themselves in harm's way to save others, knowing the risks they faced. Idaho stands with the men and women who wear the uniform. We back the blue, support the red, and honor these first responders for their courage, service, and sacrifice," Governor Brad Little said.

"Each recipient of this year's Medal of Honor put aside any thought of personal safety to save the lives of strangers," said Attorney General Labrador. "These men acted without hesitation in the most dangerous situations imaginable to protect others. They are a credit to their families, their agencies, to the State of Idaho. and I was honored and humbled to recognize such bravery."

The Idaho Legislature created the Idaho Medal of Honor in 2004 to recognize law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service providers who distinguish themselves with gallantry and courage at the risk of their own lives, above and beyond the call of duty. Ninety-two Idahoans had received the award before Tuesday. The nine recipients honored today bring that total to 101.

Citations for each of the recognized first responders below:

On July 21, 2025, Pocatello Police Corporal and K-9 handler Francisco Torres responded to a 911 call from an 81-year-old woman who sounded like she was struggling to breathe, with a fire alarm sounding in the background before the call dropped. Torres arrived to find the home engulfed in heavy smoke and flames. With no protective gear, he forced entry through a back glass door, located the woman unconscious on the kitchen floor, and dragged her out. She was not breathing. As Torres prepared to start chest compressions, she began breathing on her own. He suffered smoke inhalation and kept assisting first responders until she was transported for medical care.

On May 9, 2025, Pocatello Police Sergeant Justin Buck responded to a man standing on a ledge on the far side of the security fence on the Benton Street overpass. Buck wrapped a tether line around himself, went around the fence, and got close enough to touch the man and talk with him. Working with the fire department, Buck brought him down safely.

On October 5, 2025, Idaho Falls Fire Department Senior Firefighters Travis Adams and Jeremy F. Newman were off duty when they arrived first at a two-vehicle crash in Bingham County. A car had left the road and landed upside down in a canal, partially submerged, with four people trapped inside. Without gear or swift water training, Adams and Newman entered the cold, fast-moving water, climbed into the unstable vehicle, and pulled all four occupants out, carrying them to the bank for medical care.

The remaining five recipients were on Canfield Mountain on June 29, 2025, when a gunman ambushed first responders working a wildland fire near the Nettleton Gulch trailhead. Battalion Chief John Morrison of the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department and Battalion Chief Frank Harwood of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue were killed in the line of duty that day.

Kootenai County Sheriff's Deputy Harvey Ballman, a SWAT team member, arrived with his K-9 just below the parking lot and called for a BearCat armored tactical vehicle and additional SWAT resources. Deputies Arek Brock and Joshua Orr responded, and the three built a plan and moved up the hill, deploying gas and SWAT tactics to suppress the shooter. They took additional fire while extracting a wounded firefighter and returned suppressive fire. The deputies drove up that hill three separate times, leaving the armored vehicle each time to reach injured firefighters and trapped residents and bring them down to medical personnel.

Northern Lakes Fire Protection District Captain Ernst Fritz Wiedenhoff lost radio contact with the ambushed firefighters and moved to their position, where he found them trapped. Under active gunfire, Wiedenhoff crawled to a working radio and warned incoming responders and law enforcement of the danger. He then held the command post, feeding information to dispatch and tactical resources until the area could be secured for rescue and medical crews.

Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal was establishing the water supply for the firefighting operation when the gunman shot him in the back and paralyzed him instantly. With the shooter still active and his own injuries grievous, Tysdal used the only part of his body he could still move, keying his radio with his chin to warn the other responders about the ambush, knowing the movement could draw the shooter's attention back to him.

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