By FireRescue1 Staff
KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — Firefighters from neighboring agencies stepped up to fill in for a fire department so responders could attend a memorial service.
KREM reported that three different Kootenai County Fire and Rescue stations were staffed by the Coeur D’Alene Fire Department, Spokane Valley Fire Department and Northern Lakes Fire Department so that the firefighters could help a colleague mourn the unexpected death of his 14-year-old daughter.
“It was really appreciated,” KCFR Chief Warren Merritt said. “They stepped up, covered the stations.”
With the help of the other departments, firefighters scheduled to work the day of the memorial were able to attend.
CDAFD Chief Craig Etherton said the firefighters were happy to help, as they have a “true family feel.”
“It’s a horrifying thing to have to bury a child,” he said. “Under it all, there is a true family feel to what we do. For [KCFR] to not have to worry about making sure that their citizens are still covered, so that they could go and show support - it’s pretty huge for us.”
Etherton added that he knows the KCFR firefighters would have done the same.
“There’s no doubt in our mind that if we needed assistance in any way, that the other departments around here would jump right in,” he said.
https://twitter.com/KREMTaylor/status/1080617040761614336