Northville Youth Football Association

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

2022 Season

 

EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

This is Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is designed to assist Northville Youth Football and Cheer programs  in responding to emergency situation during practice or games. The development and implementation of the EAP will ensure board members, coaching staff and volunteers are supplied with the information necessary for reacting responsibly and in a clear-headed manner in the event of an emergency situation. 

 

Emergency Responsibilities

During practices the coaching staff is responsible for administering first aid to any ill or injured NYFA athlete. The Coach or UD must follow the scope of his or her training in administering first aid and not exceed the scope of that training. The purpose of first aid is to stabilize the situation and not make it worse. Once the situation has been stabilized, emergency medical personnel should provide all remaining treatment if needed. 

 

Activate the EAP if the athlete shows any of the following signs:

• Unconsciousness

• Trouble breathing, pain, pressure or discomfort in chest

• Severe bleeding, vomiting or passing of blood

• Seizing from a diabetic emergency 

• Possible broken bones

Making the Call

• Dial 911

• Provide name, current location and telephone number to dispatcher

• Explain nature of emergency, whether medical or non-medical

• Provide number of athletes involved

• Condition of athlete(s)

• Provide specific directions to locate the scene

• Share other relevant information as requested by dispatcher

 

Non-Medical Emergencies

Non-medical emergencies encountered during practices and games include inclement weather and heat-related emergencies. NYFA policy states protecting athletes and spectators is most important. All coaches must be aware of the danger presented by lightning, tornados, and other hazardous weather. The following guidelines represent general principles regarding the dangers involved with lightning and tornados. No severe weather safety guidelines will give 100% guaranteed safety, but these steps will help NYFA coaches avoid the majority of casualties:

 

Lightning 

 If thunder is heard, there is a danger from lightning. Lightning can travel sideways for up to 10 miles and strike from blue skies. Football fields are especially dangerous areas during a lightning storm

 ∙ If thunder is heard, the practice or game must be suspended. Everyone, including all spectators, must go to a safe shelter.

 ∙ Wait at least 30 minutes after hearing the last thunder before resuming play.

 ∙ If lightning is visible, the practice or game must be suspended. 

 ∙ Seek safe shelter. The safest place to be during a thunderstorm is in a car or a fully enclosed building. 

 ∙ Avoid the most dangerous locations such as open fields, higher elevations, metal objects such as goal posts and metal fences, and metal bleachers.

 

 Hail 

  Suspend practices or games, clear the field, seek proper shelter, and follow the guidelines for lightning.

 

Tornados

All NYFA coaches must be extra-vigilant when a Tornado Watch is in effect. A Tornado Watch means that weather conditions are favorable for development of a tornado. A Tornado Warning is a much more serious condition. A Tornado Warning means an actual tornado has been sighted. If a tornado warning is issued, all practice or games will stop immediately, and all participants and spectators will seek shelter. Seek shelter in a solid structure, preferably in a basement or an interior room. If no building is available, lay down in a ditch.

For NYFA coaches, it is critical that calm control be maintained during inclement weather. Coaches must be able to communicate calmly with the athletes and parents and ensure that no one is left unaccounted for when seeking shelter. There are no secure shelters at the fields used by NYFA. When an inclement weather event occurs during a practice or game, coaches are to gather the athletes at the nearest structure for collection by their parents.  These structures include the following locations:

Thornton Creek, Cooke School – Underneath the front entranceway overhang at both schools

Plateau – Tom Holzer stadium locker rooms

Millenium – Underneath the pavilions

 

Practice Cancellation Procedures

Directors of Football along with the General Managers should communicate via WhatsApp when weather situations are anticipated/imminent to determine best course of action.  We should always “error on the side of caution” when it comes to these situations.

 

Heat Guidelines

NYFA will use the Heat Index as our guide for heat related practice and game decisions.  The CDC offers a free Heat Index app called the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool (available from the App Store) that provides the real-time Heat Index for any area.  This app should be downloaded by all Directors, General Managers and UDs for use in making heat related decisions per the following:

Heat Index:

<95 Standard USA football hydration and practice guidelines

95-99 Helmets removed if not involved in contact.  Reduce practice time ½ hour.  Consider rescheduling practice to a cooler time of the day (if possible).  Recheck index every 30 minutes.  Increased water breaks frequency and duration.

100-104 No helmets or shoulder pads.  Reduce practice time by 1 hour.  Recheck index every 30 minutes.  Increased water breaks frequency and duration.

>104 Cancel all activity

 

Heat Related Emergencies

Heat-related emergencies are progressive conditions, typically caused by overexposure to heat. Heat emergencies fall into 3 categories of increasing severity: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. Heat illnesses are easily preventable by taking necessary precautions in hot weather. If recognized early, heat-related emergencies can usually be reversed. Without intervention and resolution of the problem, heat cramps (caused by loss of salt from heavy sweating) can lead to heat exhaustion (caused by dehydration), which can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition.

Heat-related emergencies can be avoided by canceling practice or games in extreme weather (high temperature and/or high humidity – see above) and taking frequent breaks for water.

Signs of heat-related illnesses

Early symptoms of heat illness 

∙ Profuse sweating 

∙ Fatigue 

∙ Thirst 

∙ Muscle cramps Later symptoms of heat exhaustion 

∙ Headache 

∙ Dizziness 

∙ Weaknesses and light-headedness 

∙ Cool, moist skin ∙ Nausea and vomiting 

∙ Dark yellow urine Symptoms of heatstroke 

∙ Fever (body temperature above 104 degrees F) 

∙ Extreme confusion 

∙ Dry, hot and red skin 

∙ Rapid, weak pulse, 

∙ Seizures 

∙ Unconsciousness

 

First Aid Response

∙ Follow the basic duties of first aid 

∙ Move the athlete to a cool place 

∙ Loosen tight clothing 

∙ Fan the athlete 

∙ If conscious, give cool water to drink

 

If the athlete refuses water, vomits, or starts to lose consciousness: 

∙ Send someone to call EMS and activate the EAP 

∙ Contact parent or guardian if not already present 

∙ Place the athlete on his/her side 

∙ Immediately decrease body temperature by hosing the athlete down with cold water or by placing them in an ice bath. 

∙ Continue to cool the athlete by using ice or cold packs on the wrists, ankles, groin, neck, and in the armpits 

∙ Continue to check breathing and for a pulse until EMS personnel arrive

 

Emergency Communication

Communication is the key to quick emergency response. Coaches, General Managers, UD’s and emergency medical personnel must work together to provide the best emergency response capability and must have athlete contact information as a part of pre-planning for emergency situations. Communication prior to the event is a good way to establish boundaries and to build rapport between both groups of professionals. The importance of being properly prepared when athletic emergencies arise cannot be stressed enough. The emergency plan must be reviewed once a year with all coaching personnel, along with CPR and first aid refresher training. Through development and implementation of the emergency plan, NYFA ensures the athlete will have the best care provided, should an emergency situation arise.

 

Emergency Contacts

Emergency: 911

NPD Dispatch: 248-349-1234

If a parent needs to be contacted, coaches should reach out immediately to the Unit Director(s).  The Unit Director(s) should have all parent phone numbers available for immediate contact at all times.