Forest Service dispatcher honored for work in Canfield Mountain shooting

May 29-Haley Schelin's coworker walked outside of their office on June 29 and snapped a cellphone photo of smoke rising on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d'Alene.

"Have we got calls on this?" the dispatcher asked Schelin, 31, who is the assistant center manager for the Coeur d'Alene Interagency Dispatch.

That afternoon quickly escalated.

"I'll be honest. It's not my favorite day to talk about," Schelin said. "We were just doing our normal thing, getting resources headed that direction."

Schelin, who works for the U.S. Forest Service, put in a request for a single-engine tanker aircraft, better known as a Fire Boss, to get aloft to assist fire crews who were responding. Then Schelin's supervisor called her.

"I need you to pull everything off. Now," Schelin said of her directive. "There were shots fired."

Schelin then helped direct resources as crews and law enforcement raced to Canfield Mountain after learning that a gunman had ambushed several local firefighters.

The shooter, later identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley, shot and killed 52-year-old Coeur d'Alene Fire Battalion Chief John Morrison and 42-year old Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. The shooting also severely injured Coeur d'Alene Fire engineer David Tysdal, who survived but has since retired from service.

As the situation unfolded, dispatchers had to navigate the chaos as first responders flooded the zone with resources to deal with an active shooter situation and many unknowns, such as the number of potential victims.

"It was just something I've never had to deal with," Schelin said. "And none of my supervisors have dealt with it. It was something I hope I never have to deal with again."

For her work that day, Schelin's co-workers nominated her for a regional dispatching award.

She explained the Forest Service has 10 regions. Here, federal officials work with both the Idaho Department of Lands and their counterparts in Washington, as well as local fire fighting agencies.

This spring, Schelin learned she had won the regional dispatch award. And by winning the regional award, she also was nominated for a national award.

On April 29, she learned that she in fact had won the 2025 Al Bell National Excellence in Dispatch Award, named for the career service of Bell, who had worked in the Forest Service's Southwest Coordination Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Created in 1988, this Al Bell honor recognizes individuals in wildland fire dispatch who demonstrate outstanding performance, dedication and professionalism.

The award recognized Schelin as one of the top in her field.

"Haley has proven to be an invaluable asset to the Northern Rockies dispatch community and to the field personnel who rely on her," the nomination read. "During the Nettleton Gulch incident, she served as the floor supervisor and acting Center Manager, leading the team through a chaotic and rapidly evolving situation."

"She ensured all resources were kept safe, delegated tasks efficiently across quadrants, notified management of the severity of the incident, and coordinated with aircraft and logistics to keep air assets out of potential small‑arms fire. Her leadership directly contributed to a safe and well-managed response."

Schelin, who grew up in Bickleton, Washington, located south of Yakima and southwest of the Tri-Cities, said the incident remains very personal.

"It makes me emotional just thinking about it, because I love what I do," she said. "I love supporting and working with those in the field. Being their lifeline is what we do."

She mostly credited the firefighters who faced danger that day and noted that she worked to keep the area clear of other responders so they could avoid the unknown danger.

"It's a hard day to think about for me," she said. "I know a lot of those guys."

Her husband, Casey Schelin, works as a firefighter for the Forest Service. On the day of the shooting, Casey Schelin had been sent to deal with a fire in Montana.

Haley Schelin is now in her ninth year working in the Coeur d'Alene Interagency Dispatch center. She said she also worked a year for the Post Falls Police Department.

"I also worked in this facility while I did that," Schelin said of her time with Post Falls. "I was on maternity leave."

While the award is much appreciated, she said working with first responders is living a personal dream.

"I have a degree in psychology. So, it's part of my passion," Schelin said. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else."

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