Yuma firefighters train for river rescues before summer season

More than 120 Yuma firefighters spent six days each May on and around the Colorado River drilling for the calls crews expect to rise as summer crowds return to the water.

The training was built to mirror the kinds of emergencies that can unfold fast in moving water. Firefighters worked through CPR, medical response and several styles of rescue work, including the use of floating rope systems that can reach a person in the river and pull them to safety. The exercise underscored how river rescues demand both speed and technical precision, especially when heat pushes more people toward the water in Yuma County.

A major part of the drill centered on navigation. City-installed river mile markers, numbered from zero through 8, give responders a common reference point along the Colorado River, from the Cocopah boat ramp west to the confluence of the Colorado and Gila rivers east. Officials said the markers run about one mile apart, and the city asks recreational users to note the nearest marker when they call for help. In an emergency, that detail can cut precious minutes from the response.

The training also reflected a broader effort to prepare the community before the busiest stretch of the season. The Greater Yuma Water Safety Alliance was formed in the fall of 2023 to raise awareness, promote water-safety education and reduce drownings in Yuma. Onvida Health has worked with the alliance on free monthly water-safety workshops that include hands-on CPR demonstrations and practical emergency-response skills. Registration is limited to 30 participants per class, and each participant receives a child-sized, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket and educational materials.

The alliance said its Water Safety Day drew more than 1,100 residents during its first year, a sign that river safety has become a communitywide issue, not just a fire department assignment. With the Colorado River drawing heavier traffic each summer, the training gave Yuma Fire Department crews a seasonal reset: practice the rescue, know the markers and be ready when a call comes in.