So you’re having a Sports Tournament. Great! Now here are 3 safety must-haves that you simply must have.

1. Have An Emergency Action Plan
An Emergency Action Plan (EAP, for short) is a document that contains vital information to use in the event of a medical emergency. The elements of a great emergency action plan are:

The address and maps of the location and venue outlining important venue specific information such as emergency exits, ambulance access points and life saving equipment, like AEDs.
Key tournament personnel and their contact information. Staff roles and responsibilities in the event of an injury or emergency. The contact information for the closest Police Department, Fire Department and Hospital.

Make sure that your staff has read, understands and practices the EAP prior to the tournament. That way, if something does happen, they’ll keep their cool as they handle the situation.

Lucky for you, if you use Go4Ellis, we automatically generate an EAP for you.

2. Have an AED on site
An AED (automated external defibrillator) is used when someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest. Modern AEDs are easy-to-use. They analyze a heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock—or defibrillation—to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.

The AED should be able to make it to the person in need in need within two minutes.  If your tournament is taking place at a large venue, you will probably need more than one AED. Before the event, make sure you check the expiration date of the AED pads as well as the battery life in the AED.

3. Have An Athletic Trainer
Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician as prescribed by state licensure statutes.

Athletic Trainers are trained to save lives as well as make the tough return-to-play decisions; protecting the player and, by extension, the coach, the team and the tournament.

If you need help finding an Athletic Trainer, just go here: Go4Ellis.com. There are thousands of stone-cold Athletic Training pros on the Go4Ellis platform ready to go and ready for anything.