2431.1 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
FOR SPORTS AND OTHER ATHLETIC ACTIVITY

A.	Definitions

1.	“Athletic Activity” means interscholastic athletics; an athletic contest or competition, other than interscholastic athletics, that is sponsored by or associated with a school district or nonpublic school, including cheerleading and club-sponsored sports activities; and any practice or interschool practice or scrimmage for those activities

2.	“Health personnel” means the school nurse, the school athletic trainer, the school medical inspector, the designated team doctor, a licensed physician, the licensed athletic trainer, and members of the first aid squad or ambulance team.

3.  	“Parent” means the natural parent(s) or adoptive parent(s), legal guardian(s), foster parent(s) or parent surrogate(s) of a student. Where parents are separated or divorced, "parent" means the person or agency who has legal custody of the student, as well as the natural or adoptive parent(s) of the student, provided such parental rights have not been terminated by a court of appropriate jurisdiction.

B. 	Precautions
	
1.	All coaches, including assistant coaches, and all staff who supervise sports and other athletic activity will be trained in first aid to include sports-related concussions and head injuries, the identification of injured and disabled student athletes, and any other first aid procedures required by statute, administrative code, or by the Superintendent.

	2	Athletic coaches or supervision staff members are responsible at all times for the supervision of students to whom they have been assigned.  students shall not be left unattended at any time.

3.	Students who participate in athletic competition shall be trained in proper athletic procedures, in the proper use of athletic equipment, and in the proper use of protective equipment and clothing.

4.	Student athletes shall be required to report promptly to the athletic coach or supervising staff member any injury occurring to the student himself/herself or to another student.

5.	First Aid supplies and equipment shall be readily available at all athletic activities and shall be maintained in proper condition by the Athletic trainer.

6.	First aid and emergency medical procedures will utilize universal precautions in handling blood and body fluids as indicated in Policy and Regulation No. 7420 and Regulation 7420.1

7.	Health personnel, including but not limited to, the licensed athletic trainer, school/team physician, and ambulance/first aid squad may be present at athletic activities and events as determined by the Superintendent.

	Emergency Action Plan and Procedures

1.	The Board of a school district with any of the grades six through twelve shall 		establish and implement an emergency action plan for responding to a serious or 		potentially life-threatening sports-related injury in accordance with N.J.S.A. 		18A:40-41.11.  The plan shall document the proper procedures to be followed 		when a student sustains a serious injury while participating in sports or other 		athletic activity.  The plan shall be specific to the activity site, and shall be 		developed in consultation with local emergency medical services personnel in 		accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41.11.

2.	The following emergency action plan shall be established and implemented 		whenever a student is seriously injured when participating in sports or other 		athletic activity  The emergency action plan shall include the following:

	a.	A list of the employees, team coaches, and licensed athletic trainers in 			each school who are trained in first aid or cardio-pulmonary 				resuscitation;

	b.	Identification of the employees, team coaches, or licensed athletic 				trainers in each school who will be responsible for carrying out the 			emergency action plan and a description of their respective 					responsibilities;

	c.	Identification of the activity location or venue;

	d.	Indemnification of the equipment and supplies that may be needed to 			respond to the emergency, including the location of each item; and 

	e.	A description of the proper procedures to be followed after a student 			sustains a serious or life threatening sports-related injury including, 			but not limited to, responding to the injured student, summoning 				emergency medical care, assisting emergency responders in getting to 			the injured student and documenting the actions taken during the 				emergency.

3.	The emergency action plan shall be reviewed annually and updated as 			necessary.  The plan shall be rehearsed annually in each school by the 			individuals who will be responsible for executing the plan in an emergency 		pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41.11.

4.	The proper procedures to be followed after a student sustains a serious or 			life-threatening sports-related injury while participating in sports or other 		athletic 	activity shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:

	a.	The athletic coach or supervising staff member shall immediately notify 		the health personnel present at the activity and the health personnel shall 		assume responsibility for the emergency treatment of the student.

		b.	If no health personnel are present, or if none can be immediately 					summoned to the student’s aid, the athletic coach or supervising staff 				member shall administer such first aid as may be necessary.

	c.	If the student’s injury requires more than routine first aid, the 				athletic coach or supervising staff member shall:

	(1).	Summon emergency personnel by calling 911, or

	(2).	Arrange for the student’s transportation to the nearest hospital or 				the office of the school physician.

	d.	The athletic coach or supervising staff member shall 				promptly notify the Building Principal, the Superintendent, the Athletic 		Director, and the student’s parent(s) of the student’s 	injury and the 			condition and location of the student.

	e.	An injured student who has been transported away from school 			premises will be accompanied by the athletic coach or supervising staff 		member, a member of the athletic department, a health professional, or 		other responsible adult known to the athletic coach or supervising staff 		member.

5.	These emergency procedures may be followed when the injured student is a 		member of a visiting team or district.  In the event the visiting team has health 		personnel or staff members present, every effort shall be made to cooperate with 		the health personnel and/or staff of the district in which the student is enrolled.

D.	Non-Serious or Non-Life_Threatening Injuries During an Athletic Program or Activity

	The Superintendent or designee shall prepare procedures for responding to a non-serious or non-life-threatening injury sustained by a student while participating in sports or other athletic activity.  These procedures shall be reviewed annually and updated as necessary and shall be disseminated to appropriate staff members. 

E.	Reports

1.  	The athletic coach or supervising staff member shall complete and file a report of every injury that occurs to a student in the course of his or her participation in sports or other athletic activity regardless of the severity of the injury The report shall include:

a.	The date of the incident;

b.	The name, age, and grade level of each injured student;

c.	The district in which the student is enrolled;

d.	The name and district of each student involved in the incident;

e.	A narrative account of the incident;

f.	A detailed description of the injury;

g.	The treatment given on school premises and the names of the health personnel, if any, who treated the student;

h. 	The place, if any, to which the student was taken and the persons who accompanied the student; and

I.	How the notice was provided to the student’s parent(s) .

2.	Copies of the report shall be filed with the school nurse and the Building Principal within twenty-four hours or by the end of the next school day after the incident.

3.	The Building Principal shall report the incident to the Superintendent, who may report the incident to the Board.

4.	A copy of each report of an incident of student injury that occurs in the course of the sport or other athletic activity shall be maintained by the Principal or designee, who shall analyze reports for patterns that indicate a need for revision of the district’s safety and/or athletics program.  The Principal or designee shall report the findings of his or her analysis to the Superintendent on an annual basis.

5.  	The parent(s) of each injured student will be given assistance in the completion and filing of insurance claim forms.

F.	Readmission to Athletic Activities

A student who sustains a serious or potentially life-threatening injury while participating in a sport or other athletic activity will be permitted to resume participation upon submission of written medical clearance from the student’s medical home, which shall be subject to review by school district health personnel.  Written notice of that determination, approved by the school health personnel as appropriate, shall be given to the student’s parents(s).  

The prevention and treatment of suspected sports-related concussions and head injuries shall be in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41.1 et seq. and Policy and Regulation 2431.4

Adopted:     18 December 1995, 12 December 2011
Revised:      January 2006, April 16, 2013, October 27, 2020