‘We’re like one big family’

Colfax came to a respectful standstill late Friday morning as firefighters and EMTs from across the state honored former Colfax Fire Chief Jim Krouse with a downtown procession of fire trucks and ambulances.

Krouse died Aug. 28 of a heart attack he suffered while fighting a wildfire in Colfax. He was 76.

Krouse served as a volunteer firefighter in Colfax for 52 years. He served as chief for 40 of those years, before retiring in 2010. He remained a volunteer in the department until his death.

“It’s an honor,” Colfax Fire Department Capt. Scott Kruse said about Friday’s large procession. “But it’s also a sad day. I’ve been with (Krouse) for 31 years.”

About 100 first responders from across Whitman County, Latah County and as far as Western Washington were there to pay their respects to the beloved community servant.

Kruse said first responders gather together on days like this because they are part of a “brotherhood.”

“We’re like one big family,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re from Pasco, if you’re from Kennewick, Garfield, wherever. We’re all just one big family.”

Kruse said Krouse touched many lives, and since his passing, people from as far as New York and New Jersey have sent letters paying their respects to the chief. He said Krouse’s influence went beyond Colfax because he traveled “all over” to participate in critical incident stress debriefings to help first responders cope with traumatic experiences.

Kruse called Krouse a great mentor, friend and family man.

“He was an all-around awesome guy,” he said.

The procession began on Mill Street and moved to First Baptist Church, the site of the memorial service. Family and friends gathered to watch as Krouse’s casket, covered by an American flag, was loaded onto an antique 1938 fire vehicle bought by Krouse’s father and former Colfax fire chief, Earl Krouse.

The parade of more than 30 fire trucks and ambulances traveled northbound on Main Street. Cars stopped and pedestrians on the sidewalk took photos of the scene. The vehicles turned back onto Mill Street so that Krouse could pass by the Colfax fire station one last time.

His casket was then unloaded and moved into First Baptist Church for the service.

Ben Shearer, spokesman for the Southeast Washington interagency team that helped organize the event, said that when Earl Krouse died, he also took his final ride in an antique fire vehicle during a similar procession.

Pullman Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Scharnhorst coordinated with Colfax and other fire agencies to manage the procession. Some of the organizers went to Colfax as early as Monday to figure out the logistics of the event.

Scharnhorst said they wanted to organize this procession to honor a man who died protecting his community.

“This is a fire service tradition and an honor for us to come and show our respect for his service to his community, that he paid the ultimate price for in protecting his community on that day,” he said, adding that it is also meant to pay respect to Krouse’s family.

He said a line of duty death is a risk every first responder takes on when they do their job. When it does happen, firefighters and EMTs gather “to show our fellow responders that we are here for you, we will make sure that you are taken care of, that you’re family is cared for and that we will honor and remember your service and your legacy.”

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.