Kootenai County Deputies to Receive Medal Of Honor for Canfield Mountain Response
Three Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies will receive the Idaho Attorney General’s medal of honor after they helped extract injured firefighters and led five civilians to safety during the violent Canfield Mountain incident, officials announced on February 18, 2026.
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador notified the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office on February 18, 2026, that Deputies Harvey Ballman, Arek Brock and Josh Orr were selected for the Attorney General’s Medal of Honor. The three will also receive the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Medal of Honor, the department’s highest award.
The deputies were among the first responders on scene on June 29, 2025, when an ambush-style attack left two Coeur d’Alene firefighters dead, one firefighter severely wounded and another trapped while a wildland fire actively burned. Under those conditions, Ballman, Brock and Orr developed a rescue plan, extracted the injured firefighter, freed the trapped firefighter and helped five civilians to safety; they also recovered the bodies of the two fallen firefighters.
Medal Of Honor for deputies and firefighter
Also recognized for actions that day was Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal, who was shot and paralyzed on June 29, 2025. Tysdal used his chin to key his lapel microphone and broadcast a description of the shooter, requested law enforcement and warned others of the danger; he was awarded the medal of honor and has since retired after a 24-year career.
Attorney General Raul Labrador praised the deputies’ conduct: "It is a privilege to recognize these deputies’ heroic actions and honor them with this award. Their selfless courage saved lives and exemplifies the finest of Idaho law enforcement. " Sheriff Bob Norris offered his own tribute, saying: "In the face of danger and the unknown, with disregard for their own personal safety, Deputies Ballman, Brock and Orr acted heroically to save lives and remove the two murdered firefighters from the approaching wildland fire. "
How deputies responded on June 29, 2025
The record of response on June 29, 2025 shows the deputies arriving early amid active fire and gunfire, quickly forming a rescue plan and executing extractions that included both firefighters and civilians. The combination of an ambush-style shooting and a spreading wildland fire made the scene unusually dangerous and required rapid coordination to move trapped and injured people to safety.
David Tysdal’s actions and recognition
David Tysdal, identified as a Coeur d’Alene Fire Department engineer, was honored after using his radio to describe the shooter and summon help despite being mortally wounded in mobility; his award citation noted his use of a lapel microphone and his long service driving fire apparatus over a 24-year career. Tysdal was presented the medal of honor, the highest medal given in Idaho.
The next confirmed step is the formal presentation of the Idaho Attorney General’s Medal of Honor to Deputies Ballman, Brock and Orr and the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Medal of Honor, as announced on February 18, 2026; David Tysdal’s medal of honor has already been awarded.
