Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal Retires After Canfield Mountain Ambush Injuries

Engineer David Tysdal, a 24-year veteran of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, retired effective Jan. 31, 2026 after injuries sustained in the June 29, 2025 Canfield Mountain ambush left him with a spinal cord injury and months of rehabilitation. The June 29 attack, which police described as a “premeditated ambush,” killed Coeur d’Alene Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42.

Tysdal was shot in the back during the ambush and continued to warn other crews while wounded, according to reporting from the Coeur d’Alene Press. Capt. Nate Hyder told The Press, “Dave’s the one who got Battalion 5 to get down and get to cover.” The Press also reported that Tysdal, unable to move normally after being shot, used his chin to press his radio microphone against his shoulder to activate it and alert colleagues.

Medical accounts compiled by local outlets describe a single gunshot wound to the back that damaged Tysdal’s collarbone, collapsed a lung, shattered ribs and left him “unable to move anything below the chest.” Kootenai Health treated him initially; KREM reported he was hospitalized for almost four months before a July 2025 transfer to a rehabilitation facility in Colorado described as a “hero’s sendoff.” Tysdal underwent therapies in Colorado with family and returned to North Idaho in December 2025 in time for Christmas, with plans to continue spinal cord injury therapy.

Tysdal joined the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department in 2002, a period CdA Press notes coincided with the county’s shift to a fire-based EMS system. During his career he was a founding member of Idaho Disaster Dogs and served as a K-9 handler for two dogs, Bailey and Maya. The department honored him as Employee of the Year in 2016 and sources report he was nominated for a Medal of Honor for his actions during the Canfield Mountain attack.

The department announced Tysdal’s retirement on its Facebook page in mid-February 2026, praising his character and service. The post said in part, “Above all, Dave is one of the best human beings you will ever meet and we are lucky to have had him in our fire family. Dave, we thank you for your service and dedication to the City of Coeur d’Alene and surrounding community. You will be missed; we hope to see you around often, making sure we carry on your legacy.”

Tysdal’s retirement closes a career that included frontline EMS work, K-9 search-and-rescue leadership and recognized acts of courage during the June 2025 ambush that reshaped Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County fire operations. His medical recovery and any ongoing therapy remain centered in North Idaho following the December 2025 return from Colorado.