Emergency Action Plan Best Practices

An Emergency Action Plan is designed to assist club administrators to respond to emergency situations. The idea behind having such a plan prepared in advance is that it will help you respond in a responsible and clear-headed way if an emergency occurs.

An Emergency Action Plan can be simple or elaborate but should cover the following items:

• Designate in advance who is in charge in the event of an emergency.
• Have emergency telephone numbers ready (fire, police, ambulance, president, manager, ice technician).
• For all members and guest competitors ages 17 and under, have on hand a medical profile for each participant, so that this information can be provided to emergency medical personnel. Include in this profile a signed consent from the parent/guardian to authorize medical treatment in an emergency.
• Prepare directions to give to Emergency Medical Services to enable them to reach the site as rapidly as possible. You may want to include information such as the closest major intersection, one-way streets, or major landmarks.
• Have a first aid kit accessible and properly stocked at all times.
• Have a defibrillator on hand with trained staff / volunteers.
• When an injury occurs, an Emergency Action Plan should be activated immediately if the injured person:
  • is not breathing;
  • does not have a pulse;
  • is bleeding profusely;
  • is impaired consciousness;
  • has injured the back, neck, or head;
  • has visible major trauma to a limb.

If you would like an accessible version of this PDF, please email [email protected].