Fast Five Kevin Croffoot: A father's heart of fire and faith
Meet Kevin Croffoot, a battalion chief with 32 years in the fire service, which began in the beginning with Hayden Fire and continued after consolidation becoming Northern Lakes Fire Protection District.
Kevin grew up in North Idaho and attended Coeur d’Alene High School, where he enjoyed his social life as much as he did the academics. Kevin and his wife, Katherine, still reside in North Idaho where they raised their children. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys projects around the house, being outdoors and spending time with his family, which includes his very energetic grandson.
1) What motivated you to get into firefighting, and what do you love about it?
Fresh out of high school I thought being a firefighter would be a rewarding career path. I started out as an EMT with Arrow Ambulance in Coeur d’Alene and shortly after I began working toward my firefighter career. I started as a volunteer and then went to a full-time position. In all honesty, as cliché as it sounds, helping people is what drew me into this field of work. Thirty-two years later, I still love being able to help and give back to the community that I grew up in. I enjoy the people I work with on my shift, as they are considered family to me. We are able to share a bond like no other profession can provide. One of the most exciting aspects of this profession is that “work” is ever changing and never the same day to day.
2) How are you preparing for fire season this year, and are you bracing for a doozy?
Being in the fire service, we have to be ready every day for any emergency that may arise. As a department, we always prepare for summer conditions. Northern Lakes has required wildland training that we put a lot of effort and work into completing every spring. Mother Nature is hard to predict and in as many years as I’ve been here, we’ve always had a semi-busy fire season that we always prepare for.
According to the National Weather Service in a recent training we did with them, this year’s forecast is looking similar to the 2023 fire season. Fingers crossed for some intermittent rain this summer.
3) What efforts are you involved in to raise awareness and support for mental health in our community?
In 2018, having dealt with my son Austin’s suicide, I have found that there is a huge need for mental health awareness and support in our community. I am involved in multiple organizations advocating for mental health resources. With the addition of dialing 988, which will connect you with the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that’s available 24/7, there is also North Idaho Crisis Center located on Ironwood that is open 24/7. Suicide is a national problem and extremely prevalent in this area. It needs to be talked about more.
In 2018 we started Austin’s Ladder, which is a peer support-based program for people in crisis. It is our goal to continue to be focused on steering people in the right direction toward help and in connecting them with the right resources they need. This was Austin’s wish for us to help his friends and then grew into helping anyone in need. There are many resources available in this area that most people don’t know about and it is our mission to connect the people in crisis to the resources.
4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
The perception of this profession that is often portrayed in movies and television is one that is strong and emotionless. I on the other hand wear my heart on my sleeve and show my emotions often. I think more people need to know that it’s OK to have emotions, show them and know that sometimes it’s OK to not be "OK."
One other thing that most don’t know about me is that I like flowers and plants. My wife says I spend too much money on them.
5) What mantra, ritual, prayer or something else do you use to muster courage when you are facing a scary and unpredictable situation, or do you let your instincts take over?
I believe many of these things can be helpful for a lot of individuals when dealing with this type of situation. In my years of working in this profession I have learned to stay cool, calm and collected. What’s helped me develop this is my training and through my faith. Ultimately, in these stressful situations it’s important to control your emotions and your breathing, which will help you think clearly, calmly and act decisively.
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Do you know someone in Kootenai County who makes our community awesome? Send Fast Five suggestions to Devin Weeks, dweeks@cdapress.com, to highlight locals who contribute their time and talents to make North Idaho such a special place.
