Buhl first responders hit the softball pitch for youth sport
BUHL - Typically, there's no chance a gun beats a hose.
But for the past five years, the Buhl Fire Department has shown the Buhl Police Department that isn't the case in the annual Guns vs. Hoses charity sporting event, when they lead 3-2 in this annual tradition.
Buhl Police Sgt. David Katsules hopes the police department ties the score and is the first to add to the competition.
"There'll be a new plaque this year," Katsules told the Times-News. "So we're hoping we're gonna put our names on there first."
Tawny Cooper, the district clerk for Buhl's fire department, believes differently.
"It'll be red," Cooper said, in a playful retort toward Katsules' aspirations.
Guns vs. Hoses is not a Buhl-specific event. The rivalry between firefighters and police officers has played out in other states through boxing, baseball, hockey, and other sports.
But all guns vs. hoses events are hosted in the name of charity, and Buhl's version is no different.
Since Buhl's first Guns vs. Hoses softball game in 2021, the event has raised over $10,000 for scholarships to kids who want to be first responders and to support the Buhl Youth Sports Program's mission, according to the Buhl Police Department's website.
Cooper is glad to be a part of the planning and coordinating for this event, especially since it's a community event for a good cause.
"You get to see all these kids who wouldn't otherwise get to have new equipment or uniforms," she said. "We are big sports people around here."
This event also helps to introduce new firefighters and police officers to the community in a way that makes them "more approachable to people," according to Cooper.
As for the rivalry, Katsules and Cooper agree that while rivalries among other agencies can get a little too serious, Buhl's fire and police departments maintain a friendly rivalry and working relationship.
"There's some back-and-forth smack talk between the two agencies," Katsules said, "but either way, we just go out there to have fun."
This event happens before Buhl's annual Sagebrush Days parade, which takes place on America's 250th anniversary and Buhl's 120th anniversary. Sarah Neyhart, the executive director at Buhl's Chamber of Commerce, said the softball charity event is an incredibly important part of Sagebrush Days because it fosters community unity, supports a scholarship and sports program, and brings people to Buhl.
"If I wasn't cooking for the fish fry this year," Neyhart said, "I'd be over at guns vs. hoses."
Here's more information on the event
Guns vs. Hoses Softball Game
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When: July 3 at 6 p.m.
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Where: Buhl North Park, West Softball Field: 1503 E 4200 N, Buhl
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Price: Free
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