Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Attorney General Raúl Labrador have awarded the Idaho Medal of Honor to nine first responders for acts of courage that went beyond the ordinary demands of their jobs.
The recipients include five law-enforcement officers and four firefighters whose actions ranged from entering burning buildings and fast-moving water to confronting an active shooter and rescuing wounded first responders.
Little said the nine honorees put themselves in harm’s way to protect others and represent the service and sacrifice of Idaho’s law-enforcement and fire communities. Labrador said each recipient acted without hesitation in life-threatening situations and credited them with placing the safety of others ahead of their own.
The Idaho Legislature created the Medal of Honor in 2004 to recognize law-enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical-service providers who demonstrate extraordinary gallantry and courage at the risk of their own lives. Ninety-two people had received the award before Tuesday. The latest group brings the total to 101.
Among those honored was Pocatello Police Corporal Francisco Torres, who responded to a house fire in July 2025 after receiving a 911 call from an 81-year-old woman in distress. Torres entered the smoke-filled home without protective gear, located the woman unconscious on the kitchen floor and dragged her outside. He suffered smoke inhalation but continued assisting until she was transported for medical treatment.
Pocatello Police Sergeant Justin Buck was recognized for helping bring a man safely down from a ledge on the Benton Street overpass in May 2025. Buck secured himself with a tether line, crossed the security barrier and worked with firefighters to get close enough to talk the man down.
Idaho Falls Fire Department Senior Firefighters Travis Adams and Jeremy F. Newman were honored for rescuing four people from an overturned vehicle in a canal in Bingham County. The two were off duty when they came upon the October 2025 crash and entered cold, fast-moving water without protective gear or swift-water training to pull all four occupants to safety.
Five additional recipients were recognized for their actions during the June 29, 2025, ambush of first responders on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene.
Kootenai County Sheriff’s Deputies Harvey Ballman, Arek Brock and Joshua Orr were cited for moving repeatedly into the danger zone while under fire, using an armored vehicle and SWAT tactics to reach injured firefighters and trapped residents.
Northern Lakes Fire Protection District Captain Ernst Fritz Wiedenhoff was honored for moving toward the ambushed firefighters, warning incoming crews of the active threat and maintaining communication from the command post until the area could be secured.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal was recognized for continuing to warn fellow responders after he was shot in the back and paralyzed. Unable to move most of his body, Tysdal used his chin to key his radio and alert others to the ambush.
The attack killed Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood in the line of duty.