The Dangers of Their Jobs

What happened in Coeur d’Alene Idaho over the weekend is another stark and shocking incident that reminds us of how dangerous it can be to be a first responder.

The three firefighters who were shot, two of them killed, were victims of an apparently planned ambush by a crazed man who set the fire they were responding to, in order to lure them in.

The killer is dead, so we will probably never know exactly what led him to carry out such an evil act.

It is common for firefighters responding to possible crime scenes to be told by dispatchers on their radios to stand back for police before moving in.

But these firefighters were doing what they do, responding to a brush fire to keep it from damaging homes and to protect residents nearby. They were not expecting to happen what happened.

Police officers are often sent to routine domestic violence reports, but they come to learn that even a routine call can end up with an officer killed or wounded by someone with a gun on the other side of a door.

Evil people will do evil things, and when they do, our first response should be to thank all first responders who risk their lives every day to protect the rest of us.

(Photo reporting partner 10News)