A volunteer fire rehab team in St. Charles County is asking for help to purchase ballistic vests following a shooting that killed two firefighters in Idaho.
St. Charles County Fire Rehab, a nonprofit group made up of about 25 volunteers, responds around the clock to fire scenes across the county.
Their mission is to support first responders by providing water, cooling towels, emergency supplies and on-scene care during long or dangerous calls.
The team also assists fire victims, offering everything from hygiene kits to baby formula and pet supplies in the wake of a disaster.
But now, they are focused on something they have never had to ask for before: protection.
The push for added safety comes after Wess Roley, 20, ambushed firefighters near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Authorities say Roley intentionally started a brush fire on Canfield Mountain, then opened fire on the firefighters who responded.
Two battalion chiefs, Frank Harwood of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and John Morrison of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, were fatally injured. A third firefighter, Fire Engineer David Tysdal, was critically injured.
John Saunders, a longtime volunteer with St. Charles County Fire Rehab, said the attack shook first responders across the county.
Saunders shared: “We are all feeling it like it’s one of us in the county. It is senseless, it is tragic and this is why we made a very quick and decisive decision to take action.”
The group is now trying to raise money to purchase at least six ballistic vests, which they say will help protect their volunteers in the event of a similar situation.
Saunders added: “God forbid we ever have to use the vests. But if anything happens, we will be safe, always.”
Saunders says the fire rehab volunteers typically stay out of the immediate hazard zone, but leaders say the shooting in Idaho made it clear that even so-called safe areas can quickly become dangerous.
Volunteer Cyndi Puckett shared: “Anything can change at any minute. And unfortunately, that’s what we found out recently.”
The team supports about a dozen departments across St. Charles County and responds 24/7. They are not government-funded and rely entirely on donations to fuel their mission, whether it is handing out Gatorade to firefighters or comfort kits to families who lost their homes.
Austin Sams, a volunteer firefighter who also works with fire rehab, said the crew’s role on scene is essential.
Sams commented: “Just hearing ‘Rehab 1 responding’ on the radios. It’s a sigh of relief for the firefighters.”
St. Charles County Fire Rehab says their goal is not just to support fire crews but to make sure everyone goes home safe, including their volunteers.
Following the recent shooting in Idaho, St. Charles County Fire Rehab, a nonprofit group made up of about 25 volunteers have asked for help to purchase ballistic vests.
