Emergencies & Closings

Article II - School Competition and Practice Requirements – p. 28

Section 6 – Classes Interrupted

A. In the event scheduled classes are interrupted or terminated due to infectious/communicable disease by the school district or by local/county/state health agencies, interscholastic athletic practice and competition will be postponed or cancelled. If school is closed through the weekend but scheduled to reopen on Monday, practice would be allowed on Sunday if approved by school administration.

1. During the regular season, contests may be postponed and played at a later date in accordance with respective season regulations.
2. During the WIAA tournament series, if a school is closed or will be closed on the day of a WIAA tournament contest, the WIAA contest will be rescheduled, when possible, to the earliest possible date provided the rescheduled contest will be completed prior to the next scheduled round of the WIAA tournament. (Football contests must meet season regulations, 6c.) If rescheduling is not possible, the team/individual most recently defeated in tournament competition will take that school/team’s place in the WIAA tournament game/meet/event.

Note: Schools participating in co-op programs which are not closed may continue to compete in the WIAA tournament series.

B. In the event scheduled classes are interrupted or terminated for reasons other than health, interscholastic athletic practice and competition may continue as determined by the administration, only if a duly authorized and qualified coach is in attendance, directly supervising and conducting the activity.

C. In the event scheduled classes are interrupted in A. or B. for an extended period of time:

1. If practices have been terminated for a period of at least seven days, but less than 14 days, a school may not resume competition until after three separate days of practice.
2. If practices have been terminated for a period of 14 days or more, a school may not resume competition until after five separate days of practice.
3. The requirement of minimum practice days as described in 1) and 2) above shall apply for any interruption or termination of classes, including Christmas-New Year and spring vacations.
4. Days as used in this Section shall be interpreted as calendar days. Article III – School Equipment

Resources

• CDC Guidance in Response to Infections with the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus
• Guidance for the Prevention of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Flu in Workers
• Interim CDC Guidance for Public Gatherings in Response to Human Infections with Novel Influenza A (H1N1)

Sample Plans

• Anyone Can Save a Life
• ProjectADAM - AED Information
• CDC Emergency Action Plan
• KSI - Sample Emergency Action Plan
• Preparing and Packing a Medical Kit

Coaches and Athletes Need to Know

• Emergency Procedures - Event Protocol (doc)
• Medical Policies
• Emergency First-Aid Checklist
• Appropriate Care of Spine Injured Athlete- Updated 2015

HAVE A PLAN which tells the people WHAT TO DO. Establish teams, and for each team:

1. Identify WHAT the TEAM needs to know
2. Identify WHO will be on each TEAM

Call 911 Team (6 Students)

• Find nearest phone & call 911
• Go access point to meet the ambulance
• Call Contacts - Athletic Director and Athletic Trainer

CPR Team (4 Students)

• Assist in providing CPR
• When AED arrives, turn It On and Follow Voice Prompt

AED Team (4 Students)

• Get the AED
• Get the Athletic Trainer

Heat Stroke Team (4 students)

• Fill tub daily
• Get water, ice and towels

PRACTICE THE EMERGENCY PLAN - REGULARLY

Please review the regulations that provide for safe & healthful facilities for competitors and spectators as outlined in state statutes 254.11 to 254.178 and be familiar with school emergency evacuation procedures.

Effective communication of expectations with all relevant parties is essential to help assure that the best emergency care possible is provided during the most critical moments. The WIAA PEAPM provides the platform to establish this effective communication as the venue-specific Emergency Action Plan (EAP), required by the DPI and WIAA, is reviewed before an event begins. The PEAPM Card guides the review that is assembled and supervised by the event administrator or designee, head coach or designee, lead official, and the Licensed Athletic Trainer* (LAT) and/or First Responder* (FR) from the competing schools. Communication of expectations established during the PEAPM helps facilitate a focused, coordinated emergency response and outcome during a crisis situation when the EAP is activated.  (*If attending the event) 

Before each contest, the host school game administrator shall discuss medical issues related to the competing teams, venue, and access to medical care.

Pre-event Emergency Action Plan Meeting shall include

• The head coaches for all competing teams
• The head official
• The event administrator(s)
• The medical staff for both teams, including athletic trainers and sideline physicians when present

Topics to cover

• Availability of emergency medical services available, including location, access points to the venue, capabilities, and personnel responsible for initiating their services
• What medical care is available to each team, and in what situations or areas of the venue they will be responsible for providing care
• Location of the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and the person responsible for obtaining it in the case of emergency
• Special heat issues relevant to the venue, season, and weather such as the presence of lightning detectors, heat timeouts, etc.
• Any other topic as determined by the game administrator or medical staff (i.e. evacuation plan, weather shelter, etc.)

The following link is a template form that can be edited to accommodate the multiple facilities each school may use as a resource.  These can be reproduced and distributed to coaching staff, game management, medical staff, or event sites as needed to facilitate the PEAPM.

Video: How To Conduct a Pre-Event Action Plan Meeting

Video: 2-Minute Video from Associate Director Mel Dow

Pre-Event Emergency Action Plan - Fillable checklist