By Bonny Matejowsky
The Spokesman-Review
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The Coeur d’Alene Firefighter Pipes and Drums band is typically composed of just 8 people, maybe 12 on a good day.
But this week, that number spiked to 150 as bagpipe players and drummers from across the U.S. trekked to Coeur d’Alene to participate in the funeral processions of two Idaho firefighters killed by a gunman June 29 in what has been described as an ambush attack.
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Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, and Battalion Chief Frank Hartwood, 42, of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, were responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain when they were shot and killed by a gunman who later died at the scene.
The shooting also injured 47-year-old Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal.
For Jessica Bryant, the pipe major of the Coeur d’Alene Firefighter Pipes and Drums, there was no hesitation on what to do after hearing about the tragedy. She called in the masses.
The Coeur d’Alene Firefighters Pipes and Drums is a nonprofit founded by firefighters from Coeur d’Alene Firefighters Local 710. Composed of firefighters and members of the public, the band plays for service members’ ceremonies like weddings and funerals.
When there’s a line-of-duty death, people typically travel from other departments and bands to be present and support the local service community.
After reaching out to people she knew, word spread among other pipe bands and onto social media. Pipe players and drummers from the Northwest weren’t the only people to respond. Musicians from the likes of Calgary, Dallas, Las Vegas and as far as Virginia, all made their way to Coeur d’Alene to play in the procession.
Bryant has been involved in pipe bands for 30 years and is touched by the number of people who showed up.
“For a lot of people this is going to be the biggest group they’ve played with,” she said.
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The musicians took their places on the grassy knolls of Jenny Stokes Field Wednesday evening, slinging bagpipes across their shoulder and securing the harnesses of their snare drums. They spent two hours practicing for the two upcoming processions Thursday and Friday.
The towering presence of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Station 2 adjacent to the soccer field served as a reminder of the reason they were there: to honor the lost lives of their fellow servicemen.
One of the bagpipe players who trekked from out of state was Pipe Major and Fire Capt. Craig Binnell from the Orange County Fire Authority in California. He has never seen a pipe and drums band with this number of out-of-state players for a local memorial service.
“I think the impact that this had in the community is spread out across not only just the whole state but the nation just because of the circumstances behind it,” he said.
Seth England , an independent bagpiper from Spokane , said the piping community isn’t large. Witnessing more than 100 bagpipers and drummers gather in one place is unusual, he said.
“It’s a really strong testament to the commitment of a lot of these musicians and the community as a whole,” England said. “As tragic as it is, it’s really nice to see a bunch of friends and people in the community all supportive to come together like this and play some really good music.”
Erik Loney, a firefighter with Coeur d’Alene Fire Station 3, watched the band practice from the sidelines. Experiencing the large amount of support not just from the musicians, but also the other fire departments and organizations that have stepped in during the aftermath of the tragedy, has been profound, he said.
“I think it’s how we’re getting through it,” Loney said. “These guys giving up their time away from their families to come up so we can pay respects to our brothers is remarkable. It’s just overwhelming.”
Fact sheet
Per their families’ requests, the fallen firefighter’s funeral ceremonies are limited to close family, friends and uniformed personnel only. However, the public is welcome to attend their processions and watch from the sidelines.
John Morrison’s procession will take place Thursday and Frank Harwood’s on Friday.
Both will begin around 10 a.m. at English Funeral Home and travel south on Third Street, east on Sherman Avenue and south on Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive to the ceremony location at the Hagadone Event Center.
People can also show their support by donating to the official memorial funds for Harwood and Morrison, as well as the family of Tysdal as he recovers in Kootenai Health.
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