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National Trail High School Emergency Action Plan

 

6940 Oxford Gettysburg Rd

New Paris, OH 45347

Introduction:

Emergency situations may arise at any time during athletic practices and events. Expedient action must be taken in order to provide the best possible care to the athletes in emergency and/ or life threatening conditions. Preparation for emergency and/ or life threatening conditions involves formulation of an emergency action plan, proper emergency medical personnel, and continuing education in the area of emergency response. Through careful pre-participation physical screenings, adequate medical coverage, safe practice and training techniques and other safety avenues; potential emergencies may be averted. However, accidents and injuries are inherent with sports participation. Proper preparation on the part of the Department of Athletics will enable each emergency situation to be managed appropriately.

Emergency Action Plan Personnel:

The first responder to an emergency situation is, typically, a member of the athletic training, coaching or physician staff. Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillation (AED); first aid, prevention of disease transmission, and Emergency Action Plan review is recommended for any Department of Athletic personnel associated with practices, competitions, skills instruction, and strength and conditioning. Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillation; prevention of disease transmission and Emergency Action Plan review is required for athletic training staff, head, assistant and volunteer coaches and athletic training students. Coaches are required by the board of education and state policy to maintain all certifications and turn in copies to the Department of Athletics. Coaches are required to have a cell phone at their team activities for emergency use. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that each participating athlete has an up-to-date physical on file with the Department of Athletics and a current season’s Emergency Medical Card with the team at all times.

Basic Emergency Response Team:

Certified Athletic Trainer (Corben Hartzell, 937-621-7459)

Physician

Emergency medical technician (EMT’s)

Student Trainer

Coach

Basic roles of the emergency response team:

First-immediate care of the athlete:

The most qualified individual on the scene should provide or direct acute care. Individuals with lower credentials should yield to those with more appropriate training. The high school student trainers are only to be used as assistants in retrieval of equipment or directing EMS.

Life Threatening: EMS personnel; team medical physician; certified athletic trainer; coach; student trainer

Orthopedic: Team orthopedic physician; team medical physician; certified athletic trainer; coach; student trainer

Medical: Team medical physician; certified athletic trainer; coach; student trainer

Second-EMS activation (911): This should be done as soon as the situation is deemed an emergency or a life-threatening event. Activating the EMS system may be done by anyone. However, the person chosen for this duty should be someone who is calm under pressure and who communicates well over the telephone. This person should also be familiar with the location of the injured person and the facility. The following information should be provided to the dispatcher:

·         Your Name

·         Exact location where the injury occurred and where you will meet them

·         The number you are calling from

·         Number of injured athletes

·         The condition of the athlete(s)

·         The care being provided

·         Make sure that you hang up only after the dispatcher has hung up.

·         Then notify the Athletic Trainer if they are not on site.

 

Third-equipment retrieval: This is done by a person who is familiar with the type and location of the specific emergency equipment needed. If sending students, send them in groups to retrieve equipment. AED’s are located in all gymnasiums and throughout the hallways of the school. There is an AED immediately outside of the athletic training office in the high school gym (near the entrance to the girl’s locker room). When competing outside, AED’s are located in the Athletic Training Center (weight room), the Track equipment room (same building as the concession stand), and one will be in the orange golf cart with the athletic trainer.

 

Fourth- directing EMS to the scene:

One person should be responsible for meeting emergency medical personnel as they arrive at the facility. This person should have keys to any locked gates or doors and should know the fastest access to the emergency scene. The athletic trainer has a master key.

·         In the event of an emergency at the football stadium or on the track, EMS will be directed through the main gate near the concession stand to gain access to the field/track.

·         In the event of an emergency at the football/soccer practice fields or the baseball field, EMS will enter the main gate and drive behind the Athletic Training Center and to the left to reach both practice fields and the baseball field. There is a gate EMS may enter in right field to gain access to the baseball field.

·         In the event of an emergency at the softball field, EMS will enter the main gate near the concession stand and then follow the gravel road behind the concession stand to reach the softball field. The gate to gain access to the field is along the third base line towards the track.

·         In the event of an emergency in the high school gym, middle school gym, or elementary school gym, EMS will enter through the main entrance of the school and take a right for the high school gym, or a left for the middle school or elementary school gym.

 

 

Emergency Communication: Access to a working telephone, fixed or mobile, should be available during any team workout. The communications system should be checked prior to each practice or competition to ensure proper working order. A back-up communication plan should be in effect should there be failure of the primary communication system

The most common method of communication is a cellular phone. At any athletic venue, whether home or away, it is important to know the location of a workable telephone. Pre-arranged access to a phone should be established. There is a landline phone in the athletic trainer’s office in the high school gym.

Emergency Equipment: All necessary emergency equipment should be at the site and quickly accessible. Personnel should be familiar with the function and operation of emergency equipment on site. Equipment should be in good operating condition and checked on a regular basis. Equipment will be appropriate for the sport and venue.

Transportation: Department of Athletics event operations personnel will coordinate on site ambulances for competitions and tournaments. Ambulances should have rapid access to the site and a cleared route for entering/exiting. In the emergency situation, determining transport decisions is the responsibility for the highest-level trained person on the scene. Department of Athletics’ staff will not transport injured persons in inappropriate vehicles (personal). Care must be taken to ensure that the activity areas are supervised should the emergency care provider leave the site in transporting the injured person. If a parent or guardian is not present and the athlete must be transported to the hospital a school staff member should accompany the athlete if possible and if it does not leave the rest of the team unsupervised.

Media, Crowd and Family Members management: Event operations personnel and/or coaching personnel will maintain spectators at a distance that will allow emergency medical personnel access to the patient. A member of the coaching staff will escort family members to the necessary appropriate area but still allowing enough distance for the emergency medical personnel to treat patient. If a parent or guardian steps in and interrupts patient care/ or takes over the emergency response team will step back as the parent/ guardian has now accepted responsibility for treating their child. No member of the emergency response team or Department of Athletics is to give any information to the media without written consent from the athlete and parent/guardian as per the law. Spectators with medical credentials do not have appropriate consent to treat ECS student-athletes; therefore they should only serve as Good Samaritans upon the request and in coordination of the emergency response team.

Conclusion: The importance of being properly prepared when athletic emergencies arise cannot be stressed enough. An injured person’s survival may hinge on the training and preparedness of Department of Athletic personnel. The Emergency Action Plan should be reviewed at least once a year with all athletic personnel. Through development and implementation of the emergency plan, the Department of Athletics ensures that student athletes will have the best possible care when an emergency situation does arise.

 


 

 

Severe/ Inclement Weather Policy

National Trail Local Schools will abide and enforce the OHSAA’s policy on inclement weather adjustments:

Overview:

According to the OHSAA’s policy, competition or practice should be suspended once lightning has been recognized or thunder is heard. Wait 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning is witnessed or thunder is heard prior to resuming practice or competition. Any subsequent lightning or thunder after the beginning of the 30-minute count shall reset the clock, and another count shall begin. All personnel, athletes and spectators should evacuate to available safe structures or shelters.

 

Details:

Coaches, certified athletic trainers, athletes, game officials and administrators must be aware of potential inclement weather and the signs which indicate thunderstorm development. Every year there are several deaths due to lightning strikes. Over the last several years there were several athletes in the United States killed by lightning.

 

Event Staff will:

Monitor Weather Patterns- Be aware of potential thunderstorms by monitoring local weather forecasts the day before and morning of the competition and by scanning the sky for signs of potential thunderstorm activity.

National Weather Service- Weather can be monitored using small, portable weather radios from the NWS. The NWS uses a system of severe storm watches and warnings. A watch indicates conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop in an area; a warning indicates severe weather has been reported in an area, and everyone should take proper precautions.

 

Excess Heat Precautions:

 

National Trail Local Schools will abide by the OHSAA’S recommendation on heat illness prevention in football and will extend this rule (with appropriate changes_ to other outdoor sports. The OHSAA Policy:

 

Heat Index under 95 degrees (heat index from 80-95 for other sports)

·         Water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.

·         Optional water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration to allow hydration as a group.

·         Have towels with ice for cooling of athletes as needed.

·         Watch/ monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.

·         Re-check temperature and humidity every 30 minutes if temperature rises in order to monitor for increased Heat Index.

 

Heat Index from 95 degrees to 99 degrees

·         Water should always be available and athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire.

·         Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration to allow for hydration as a group.

·         Have towels with ice for cooling of athletes as needed.

·         Watch/ Monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.

·         Helmets and other equipment should be removed when athlete is not directly involved with competition, drill or practice and it is not otherwise required by rule.

 

Heat Index above 104 degrees

Stop all outside activity in practice and/or play, and stop all inside activity if air conditioning is unavailable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relative Humidity (%)

 

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

110

136

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

108

130

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

106

124

130

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

104

119

124

131

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

102

114

119

124

130

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

100

109

114

118

124

129

136

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

98

105

109

113

117

123

128

134

-

-

-

-

-

-

96

101

104

108

112

116

121

126

132

-

-

-

-

-

94

97

100

102

106

110

114

119

124

129

135

-

-

-

92

94

96

99

101

105

108

112

116

121

126

131

-

-

90

91

93

95

97

100

103

106

109

113

117

122

127

132

88

88

89

91

93

95

98

100

103

106

110

113

117

121

86

85

87

88

89

91

93

95

97

100

102

105

108

112

84

83

84

85

86

88

89

90

92

94

96

98

100

103

82

81

82

83

84

84

85

86

88

89

90

91

93

95

80

80

80

81

81

82

82

83

84

84

85

86

86

87

 

1.16) Conduct of Practice Sessions

 

1.16.1) Thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of activity, temperature and humidity readings should be taken at the site.

 

1.16.2) The temperature and humidity should be factored into the Heat Index Calculation and Chart and a determination made as to the Heat Index. If schools are utilizing a digital sling psychrometer that calculates the Heat Index, that number may be used to apply to the table.

 

1.16.3) If a reading is determined whereby activity is to be decreased (above 95 degrees Heat Index), then re-readings would be required every thirty (30) minutes to determine if further activity should be

eliminated or preventative steps taken, or if an increased level of activity can resume.

 

1.16.4) Using the following scale, activity should be altered and/or eliminated based on this Heat Index as determined.

 

1.16.5) This procedure is to be used until such time as the temperature is below 84 degrees as no combination of heat and humidity at that level will result in a need to curtail activity.

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

Quick Reference Emergency Procedures

 

When an injury occurs on the field or court of play, the following EMERGENCY PROCEDURES should be followed whenever possible.

 

It is understood that the head coach is responsible for dealing with all injuries to his or her players in the event that an Athletic Trainer or Doctor are unavailable.

 

The following procedures should be taken when an injury occurs:

1.       The Athletic Trainer or Doctor will go onto the field or court and evaluate the injured player(s).

2.       If the injury is serious, the coach/ assistant coach or student trainer should call 911 and give the following information;

a.       Your name

b.       Exact location and address of the injured athlete(s)

c.       The closest entrance information to the field or court nearest the athlete

d.       Number of injured athletes and type of injury

e.       Care being provided

f.        Number you are calling from

g.       Hang up last

 

3.       Send someone to meet EMS

4.       Contact the parents as soon as possible if they are not present at the sporting event or practice

5.       Retrieve EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARD and any necessary medical equipment.

6.       Control crowd to keep person safe

7.       If the parents are unavailable, the player’s coach or assistant coach should accompany the athlete to the hospital.

8.       The Athletic Trainer will alert the head coach of a player’s status and when he or she may return to the game or practice

9.       A report of all injuries should be kept in the Athletic Training Room, via Epic and/or FinalForms

a.       Coaches should also keep a record of all injuries that happen under their supervision.

b.       This is to prevent future liability issues from arising.

10.   The school’s attendance and principal’s office should be notified regarding any serious injury to an athlete that may cause absence or special arrangements due to their injury.

11.   It is not recommended, for insurance reasons, that any specific doctor or clinic be directed by a coach.

12.   Emergency Medical Authorization Cards should be with the coach at ALL practices and games for that team, either via FinalForms or printed.

13.   Coaches should keep their cell phones with them or in close proximity to them at all times in case of an emergency.

14.   All coaches should have keys to all the necessary gates and entrances to practice or game facilities. This should promote fast and prompt care to a seriously injured athlete.

 

NOTE: If there is ever any doubt about the condition of an injured athlete call 911!!!

 

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