The first lines of defense in the case of catastrophic injuries is having a comprehensive, detailed plan for most scenarios, commonly referred to as an Emergency Action Plan.

An EAP is necessary for any youth organization or school district and all of the venues within these institutions where athletes exercise. The EAP provides information to ensure response to an emergency is rapid, appropriate, controlled and precise.

According to the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, all personnel within an organization share a professional and legal responsibility to ensure that guidelines are in place to manage any emergency that could arise. An EAP defines the standard of care for these situations, and therefore an institution without an EAP can be found to be negligent in cases of catastrophic injuries.

An EAP also needs to be flexible enough to be applicable to any emergency situation. It is a good idea to involve local EMS in the writing of this document and have a school medical director or local physician approve its contents.

Here’s seven elements that the Korey Stringer Institute says every Emergency Action Plan should include:

• Emergency personnel. Describe the emergency team involved when the EAP is activated and the roles of each person.
• Emergency communication. What communication devices are available? Are there areas on the ground that don’t have cell service? What number is to be called in an emergency? What specific information and directions to the venue must be provided to the EMS response team?
• Emergency equipment. The location of equipment should be quickly accessible and clearly listed. Equipment needs to be maintained on a regular basis. This includes an AED (defibrillator), tub for total body emersion, ice, towels, etc.
• Medical emergency transportation. Describe the options and estimated response times for emergency transportation.
• Venue directions with a map. This must be specific to the venue and provide instructions for easy access to the venue.
• Roles of first responders. Establish scene safety and immediate care of the athlete, activation of EMS, equipment retrieval and direction of EMS to the scene
• Emergency Action Plan for non-medical emergencies. Just because something is not life-threatening does not mean it doesn’t benefit from advance planning.