THE 6 PEOPLE YOU NEED IN AN
Emergency Action Plans require routine updating and practicing
By Zack Zarrilli, Firefighter, Founder Of SureFire CPR, Newport Beach, Calif.
emergency play—is the one most ignored yet most important. What happens if one of your players is seriously injured in practice or a game? In the world of sports, sec- onds matter. Emergency medicine is no different. Games are won and lives are saved by a matter of min- utes. Develop your EAP before the first practice and run it as a drill on the first day of practice.
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Serious sports injuries occur on a regular basis, and your prepared- ness as a coach or athletic director could mean the difference between life and death.
Many athletic administrators and coaches have thought about this but aren’t confident they have the proper plan in place to handle a medical emergency. As a firefighter, I have witnessed high school football players die on the field during a Friday night game. While you cannot prevent all tragedies, if you have the EAP in place, the chances of a disaster are reduced.
Delegating
Responsibilities In a life-threatening emergency, everyone needs to know their re- sponsibilities so care is provided as quickly as possible. Athletic directors cannot be at every practice or game, so it comes down to the coaching staff to ensure responsibilities are delegated and everyone is comfort-
coachad.com
ou have plays for all game situations but an Emergen- cy Action Plan (EAP)—or
able in their roles. There are six peo- ple who must be a part of your EAP.
care and must be CPR, AED (au- tomated external defibrillator) and First Aid certified. Put your head coach in this role, then he or she as- signs the remainder of the duties to assistant coaches, team captains or veteran players.
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911 Notifier: This person calls 911 and provides con- cise directions to your location. Most likely the call will be made from a cell phone, which does not allow Emergency Medical Systems (EMS) to accurately track the loca- tion (this is true for all cell phone providers). This person also relays first aid care instructions from the 911 dispatcher to the Patient Care Leader and must remain next to the patient at all times.
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are difficult to access for firefighters and paramedics. A 911 Flagger goes to the main entrance of the school or sports complex and helps direct EMS personnel to the scene.
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the first aid gear and AED, and brings it to the Patient Care Leader.
trained in CPR, AED and First Aid to assist the Patient Care Leader if the injured player is unconscious and not breathing or seriously hurt.
4 5
son adding extra stress and tension 6
Traffic Cop: People always crowd around an injured per-
Patient Care Support: Have one or two players who are
AED and First Aid Supply Runner: This person retrieves
911 Flagger (or Flaggers): Schools and fields sometimes
Patient Care Leader: This person is in charge of patient
to those trying to provide care. The Traffic Cop keeps those without a role in the emergency plan away from the situation.
Have The
Right Equipment Next you need to ensure you are on top of your game. Sports equip- ment and emergency medical equip- ment are always evolving. Huge advances are being made in first aid kits and AEDs. If an AED is used within three to
five minutes of a cardiac arrest, the survival rate increases 50 to 70 per- cent. With the average fire depart- ment response being five minutes or more, it is critical to have these de- vices readily available. If you don’t have an AED, then you need to find a way to get one. AEDs can save the lives of your players. You must evolve as the technology evolves— we no longer wear leather football helmets for a reason. Finally, you play like you prac-
tice. This is the oldest saying in all sports. The best thing about coaches is they all know the importance of practice. If you don’t practice your EAP, you will not be prepared when it’s needed. Critical sports injuries happen every day at high schools around the country—make sure you are ready.
Zack Zarrilli is a veteran firefighter and founder of SureFire CPR. His team of professional firefighters, paramedics, lifeguards and EMTs trains thousands of people every year. SureFire CPR is located in Newport Beach, Calif., and it can be reached at
info@surefirecpr.com
March/April 2013 43
EMERGENCY
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