6 Recommendations for Post Injury Emergency Action Plans

Serious injuries are an unfortunate possibility for athletes participating in youth sports. While it is impossible to prevent all injuries from happening, being prepared to take action swiftly and effectively when such a situation does arise can help contain and mitigate the damage to athletes, coaches, and parents alike.

Emergency Action Plans are concrete, written plans that outline what should be done in the event of a serious injury. EAPs should be venue specific, developed in collaboration with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and other school or league administrators, updated annually, and should include information on what should take place after an incident has occurred.

Below are 6 recommendations for sports organizations and athletic departments to consider in their creation and implementation of EAPs.

Emergency Action Plans Should…

1. Be distributed, reviewed, and rehearsed by all staff members, trainers, coaches, and other pertinent medical personnel on an annual basis.
2. Provide documented recommendations for appropriate response actions that should be taken after a serious injury. 
3. Specify roles and document the corresponding responsibilities for all staff members, coaches, and medical personnel within a designated chain of command. 
4. Identify the location of on-site emergency equipment (Automated External Defibrillators, CPR Masks, etc.)
   1. Programs like Smart Heart Sports Coalition’s AEDs for Youth and GotAED provide sports organizations and schools information on how to access discounted or crowd-funded AEDs and medical equipment.
5. List contact information for EMS and other critical medical personnel, as well as the facility address and location. 
6. Contain information for healthcare professionals who will be responsible for providing medical coverage in the event of a serious injury. 

This resource was produced with Players Health.