Green Bay firefighters, lifeguards sharpen skills at Colburn pool

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Green Bay firefighters and municipal lifeguards are conducting joint training sessions at Colburn Park pool, using the west-side facility as a real-world setting to rehearse water rescues and medical responses ahead of the city’s busy summer season.

Cross-agency drills focus on faster poolside response

Recent training sessions at Colburn Park pool have brought together members of the Green Bay Metro Fire Department and lifeguards employed through the city’s aquatics programs. Publicly available information indicates the exercises are built around realistic scenarios in which lifeguards are the first to spot a swimmer in distress and firefighters arrive minutes later to provide advanced medical care.

The joint drills simulate a typical sequence at a public pool: a lifeguard recognizes an emergency, initiates a water rescue, and brings the swimmer to the deck, where additional lifeguards and responders take over. Fire crews then practice rapid assessment, use of equipment such as bag-valve masks and automated external defibrillators, and coordination with lifeguards who may still be managing other swimmers in the water.

Reports indicate that training blocks are designed to be repeated several times with small adjustments, allowing participants to refine communication and timing. Instructors emphasize clear handoffs between lifeguards and firefighters at the pool edge, with particular attention to how information about a victim’s condition is relayed in the critical first minutes.

Observers of similar programs around the country have noted that integrating lifeguard and fire department practice can reduce confusion at the scene and help ensure that everyone on deck understands their role when a real emergency unfolds.

Colburn Park pool’s role in Green Bay’s safety network

Colburn Park, a 60 acre community park on Green Bay’s west side, includes one of the city’s outdoor pools along with ball fields, courts and open green space. Park planning documents describe the site as a key recreation hub, and city aquatics brochures show it regularly hosts swim lessons, junior lifeguard programs and water fitness classes during the summer months.

Although aquatics offerings have shifted in recent years as the city has invested in multiple facilities, Colburn’s pool remains part of a broader system that includes Joannes Aquatic Center and other locations. Public records show that the city’s parks and recreation department has been working on strategies to bolster recruitment and training of lifeguards across all outdoor pools, reflecting ongoing regional and national staffing challenges.

Using Colburn Park pool as a training ground allows firefighters to work in a setting that mirrors the layout, visibility and crowd patterns found at Green Bay’s public aquatics facilities. The environment differs significantly from indoor training rooms or classroom simulations, giving participants a chance to navigate pool decks, gates and equipment storage areas that may affect how quickly they can reach a victim.

Colburn’s mix of competitive lanes, open swim areas and shallow zones also provides flexibility for staging multiple scenarios. Instructors can set up drills that range from a nonresponsive swimmer found in deep water to a medical incident in a shallow play area, mirroring the variety of calls that may arise over the course of a summer.

Emphasis on drowning prevention and youth programs

The joint training effort comes as Green Bay and many other communities continue to highlight drowning prevention, especially among children and teenagers. Educational campaigns and seasonal programs in the region point to national data showing that unintentional drowning is a leading cause of death for younger age groups, and that strong supervision and trained responders are critical layers of protection.

City materials detailing swim lessons and junior lifeguard offerings at Colburn Park pool stress skill development that aligns closely with what firefighters practice during joint drills. Junior lifeguard sessions introduce older youth to surveillance techniques, use of rescue tubes and spinal injury management, while regular lessons focus on building confidence and competence in the water.

By pairing lifeguard-firefighter exercises with these ongoing programs, Green Bay’s aquatics system effectively extends the safety chain from the deck into the community. Young participants encounter consistent messages about safe behavior around water, and some may eventually move into seasonal staff roles that participate in more advanced rescue training.

Regional initiatives such as water safety camps and partnerships with youth organizations also contribute to a broader culture of awareness. Publicly available coverage of similar events in the Green Bay area describes children meeting first responders at the pool and learning basic safety rules, a model that complements the more technical drills now taking place at Colburn Park.

Building on wider investments in fire and rescue capability

The Colburn Park training sessions are occurring at a time when Green Bay is making additional investments in fire and emergency services. Recent reports describe federal funding secured for a new west side fire station, a project framed as a way to modernize facilities and support healthier, safer work environments for first responders.

Water-based drills at community pools fit within that broader push by sharpening on-the-ground skills that equipment upgrades alone cannot provide. Fire crews that have recently responded to large incidents in challenging weather conditions have underscored, through public accounts of those events, how preparation can shape outcomes when real emergencies arise.

Joint practice with lifeguards is particularly important because pool incidents often develop quickly and require precise teamwork. Even when a facility has well trained aquatics staff, firefighters bring additional capabilities and experience with cardiac care, trauma management and transport logistics that can be decisive in a life-threatening situation.

Aligning these strengths during practice helps identify any gaps in procedures or expectations while there is still time to adjust. Participants and program planners can then refine written protocols, signage and staffing plans at Colburn Park pool and other aquatics sites before peak attendance later in the summer.

Preparing for a busy outdoor pool season

Green Bay’s outdoor pools typically see their heaviest use between late June and August, when daytime temperatures rise and families seek local, low-cost ways to cool off. In recent years, pool hours and openings have occasionally been adjusted in response to staffing or maintenance needs, making it especially important that available facilities operate as safely and efficiently as possible.

By front-loading joint training at Colburn Park pool, organizers aim to ensure that lifeguards and firefighters enter the season with shared expectations and recent hands-on practice. The drills reinforce basic procedures such as how to direct other swimmers away from an emergency zone, how to secure access points for arriving ambulances, and how to maintain privacy and dignity for those involved in an incident.

Public information from the city’s parks and recreation department continues to encourage residents to participate in swim lessons and other aquatics programs, noting that strong swimming skills and familiarity with pool rules are key components of personal safety. The joint exercises at Colburn Park add an additional layer by focusing on what happens when prevention measures are not enough and professional responders must act.

As the summer progresses, Colburn Park pool is expected to serve both as a neighborhood gathering place and as a living classroom where lifeguards, firefighters and community members all play a part in keeping the water a safer place to swim.