Shoshone County leaders offer messages of support following tragedy

The shocking acts of violence committed against the city of Coeur d’Alene and its first responders on Sunday afternoon sent shockwaves across the nation. In neighboring Shoshone County, elected officials, law enforcement, and EMS personnel are standing in solidarity with their counterparts in Kootenai County. 

Shoshone County Fire Protection District #2 Chief Scott Dietrich, who served 13 years with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department before becoming chief in Kellogg, feels the impact of the tragedy on a deeply personal level. 

“Everyone involved in Sunday's tragedy were my brothers and sisters,” Dietrich said. “My heart is broken today for everyone at Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue, and all of their families. The thoughts and prayers of all of the firefighters in Shoshone County are with the firefighters in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, and we are standing by to assist in any way that we can.” 

On Monday morning, Shoshone County Commissioners Jeff Zimmerman, Dave Dose, and Melissa Cowles each expressed their heartfelt condolences to the families of the two fallen firefighters and extended wishes for a full and speedy recovery to those injured. 

After reflecting on the tragedy, Commissioner Dose shared his thoughts on its broader meaning for the community and its first responders. 

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the families who suffered terrible losses yesterday in this horrific and senseless act of violence against our own,” Dose said. “Secondly, our prayers and admiration today are for all the first responders in Kootenai and Shoshone County and elsewhere throughout the nation who have to go back to work with courage and determination, having been painfully reminded of the fragility of life and the risks they take every day to protect and serve us. 

What can we take from something as tragic and senseless as this most recent attack on our local first responders? I am taking away an even deeper sense of awe and appreciation for the men and women who lay their lives on the line daily to protect ours.” 

For Shoshone County Undersheriff Lance Stutzke, Sunday’s events served as a sobering reminder of the unpredictable dangers first responders face—and the importance of cherishing everyday moments. 

“We hug our families before we leave each day, but never expect that could be the last embrace, the last little smile, or the last ‘I love you,’” Stutzke said. “While tragedies like this can't be explained or fully understood, we should always try to learn something from them and in that way, we honor the sacrifices made to protect others, as the firefighters and other first responders on Canfield Mountain did yesterday.”