GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — No emergency involving police or firefighters is ever truly routine. But rigorous training and strong interdepartmental relationships can make even the most chaotic scenes unfold with precision.
That teamwork was on full display this week, when Green Bay police officers and firefighters responded to a bus crash that left 41 passengers hurt.
From the moment dispatchers answered the 911 call to the final minutes when passengers were escorted to safety, both departments moved in sync — executing a sharp, coordinated response that prioritized every life at the scene.
Administrative Captain Clint Beguhn of the Green Bay Police Department said in his time in Green Bay, he’s never handled quite an incident like this.
"I think we are lucky and fortunate in this community that we have a police department and a fire department with the resources to bring in the ones we needed, work seamlessly through it, and have the best outcome we could," Beguhn said.
Ben Peters, a Green Bay Metro Fire Department engineer and paramedic, agreed.
"A positive working relationship with our team and their team — everyone collaborated well," Peters said.
Both Beguhn and Peters credited recent mass casualty training — along with years of working side-by-side on everything from police calls and rescues to community events like Fourth of July celebrations and the farmers market — for helping them handle the bus crash as though it were second nature.
While the scale of this incident was unprecedented for them, Beguhn and Peters said the familiarity and trust built over years of joint calls made all the difference in ensuring passengers were treated quickly and safely.
Please stay with NBC 26 as we continue to follow the latest developments involving this bus crash.
