Preparing for an Emergency

Planning ahead for an emergency is the only

effective way of eliminating delays or
problems when one occurs. Any delay or
problem in the case of a serious injury or
other medical emergency could have drastic
repercussions. As a result, you will want to
be prepared and know what to do in all
situations.

Emergency Action Plan

A prepared Emergency Action Plan (EAP) will allow you to properly assess and care
for athletes who have suffered injury or sudden illness. In emergency situations the
luxury of time is not available. A clearly defined EAP will increase your efficiency and
allow you to control the situation, getting the athlete to medical care much faster.

As part of the EAP, you must assign three key roles to people on the ground with
you. These are:

 Person in Charge (PIC)

This should be the person most capable of handling injury situations and
provide injury management to the athlete. The PIC must evaluate the
situation, treat the injury to the best of their training, and determine if an
ambulance is needed. In many cases, the PIC will be you.

 Call Person

The call person must be reliable, such as an official, coach or another medical
volunteer. The call person is responsible for calling the ambulance as
directed by the PIC. This person must know where the telephones are
located, and be prepared with information about the injury to be relayed over
the phone. To save time, this person should take an emergency protocol card
with them to the phone and follow the emergency protocol. More details
about an emergency protocol card can be found later in this section.

 Control Person

This should be a reliable person who can assist by keeping onlookers away
from the injury scene. Ideally this person should be trained in first aid and
CPR so they can assist the PIC with first aid care.
Things to remember

When designing the EAP, the following should be considered:

 Those assigned to the key roles

 Location of all emergency telephones (including cellular phones)

o Are the telephones accessible and in working order (cell

phone batteries charged, cell phones work inside facility,
etc.)

o The correct emergency phone number (is 911 used in your

community?)

 Athlete medical information cards are on-site and accessible to send with
ambulance if needed

 Access route planned for the ambulance and paramedics to easily reach the
injury site (e.g. use a back door)

 Doors and gates on the access route must be unlocked and accessible during
practice and competition

The EAP should be rehearsed pre-season and updated for each facility that
you use for practice or competition.

Follow Up
After an emergency incident, there are some important steps to follow:

 An Injury Report Form must be filled out immediately to document how the
injury occurred and the treatment that was given, regardless of the severity
of the injury. Injury report forms will help you avoid liability issues, and
they also assist medical personnel in determining when the athlete is ready
for return to play, and help prevent recurring injuries by ensuring that the
injury will be properly rehabilitated.

 Always inform parents or emergency contacts about the incident.

 If the injury or illness is not severe, but pain or discomfort persists, refer the
athlete to their physician.

 The physician, athletic therapist, or physiotherapist is responsible for

determining the athlete’s readiness to return to play.
In the Event of an Injury

Person in Charge
Emergency Non-Emergency
1. Activate Emergency Action Plan. Send 1. Assess injury and initiate appropriate
Call person to contact the ambulance and management (e.g. RICE).
report back. Direct the control person to Refer athlete to appropriate medical
keep onlookers away and to assist with personnel for further care.
medical care if necessary.
2. Complete a Primary Assessment. 2. Complete Injury Report Form.
3. Liaise with ambulance personnel once
they arrive.
4. Ensure medical information card goes
with athlete to hospital.
5. Have someone accompany athlete to
hospital.
6. Complete Injury Report Form

In an emergency, a decision has to be made to call EMS. Send the call person to
activate the EMS immediately if the athlete:

 Is unresponsive.

 Has trouble breathing.

 Is bleeding severely.

 Is convulsing.

 Has a possible head or spine injury.

 Has suspected broken bones.

If you are unsure whether or not to activate EMS, use your best judgment.
Remember that it is better to err on the safe side, so if the illness or injury seems
severe, call EMS.
Emergency Protocol
The EAP should include a one-page protocol to provide a step-by-step procedure to
follow in the event of an emergency. This protocol can be posted at the
facility/venue and/or given to a visiting coach/team so that people not familiar with
the action plan will know what to do in the event of an emergency.

In the event of an emergency, follow these steps:

 Check the athlete’s level of responsiveness.

 Begin to administer the necessary first aid care and initiate EAP.

 Tell the call person the athlete’s age, sex, level of consciousness and
possible injury or illness; as well as where the telephone is located, the
number to call, the address of the facility and the preferable entrance to
use (use the Emergency Protocol Card).

 Send the call person to activate EMS and tell them to return to you when
they have done so.

 If necessary, ask a responsible person to keep onlookers at a reasonable

distance.

 Instruct someone to wait at the entrance of the facility to direct EMS to the ill
or injured athlete when they arrive.

 Have a responsible person (parent, coach) accompany the athlete to the

hospital.

 Immediately after the incident, document how the emergency occurred and
how it was cared for.

In addition to the medical kit, there are

some essential items that the AIM
Specialist should keep with them:

 Something to maintain an airway

(e.g. pocket mask).

 Something to cut with (e.g. utility

scissors).

 Something to control bleeding (e.g.

gloves and gauze or a towel).
 The AIM specialist should also make sure there is access to a blanket, ice,
water, and a clock or watch.

PIC Pre-Event Checklist

Prior to the activity, the person in charge should fill out the PIC list. The PIC list
is used for risk management and follows all the steps in the Emergency Action Plan.

 Emergency Protocol Card has been filled in with the facility address and
access route to the activity area.

 Address to the nearest hospital is recorded.

 Access doors are unlocked for the Emergency Medical Services.

 Gates that may block ambulance entrance are open or unlocked.

 Telephone is working and accessible, or cell phone is charged and works in

the activity area. There should be exact change available to use a payphone
if necessary.

 After hours phone numbers of the team doctor and dentist are available.

 Designate a responsible person (parent, coach) to make the call to EMS if

necessary. Make sure the call person knows where to find the Emergency
Protocol Card, a pen, the phone and the exact change if it is a payphone.

 Emergency equipment is in place:

Gloves Pocket mask Scissors Gauze Blanket Water Ice Watch

 Medical kit is available and supplies are fully stocked.

 Athlete medical information cards are easily accessible to send with an

ambulance if needed.

 Injury report forms are available.

 Facility is appropriate for the activity and free of hazards.

 Athletes are wearing appropriate protective equipment.

 All athletes are warmed up.

 Introduce yourself to any other medical/safety person or coach and review

emergency protocol.

 Introduce yourself to officials and review emergency protocol.

 The physician, athletic therapist, or physiotherapist is responsible for

determining the athlete’s readiness to return to play.