Pre-Event Safety Timeout

A Pre-Event Safety Timeout is designed to prepare site administrators, coaches, officials, athletic trainers, emergency medical services, team physicians, and anyone designated as responsible for the safety and medical well-being of athletes or spectators on game day to be aware, prepared, and educated.

What Is Included On The Pre-Contest Timeout Card (Front)?

Participants: The site supervisor, home/away coach(s), and official(s) should meet prior to the contest start to review the checklist questions in the event of an emergency or contest interruption. If present, the athletic director (AD), athletic trainer (AT), team physician, and EMS should be included in the meeting.

Checklist Questions: Review these questions with the participants of the Pre-Event Safety Timeout prior to each contest to ensure that all parties are on the same page.

• Who is the onsite contact for each school?
• Is there a qualified medical professional present? If not, who will lead in case of an emergency?
• Venue EAP: Who calls 911? Who meets EMS (and where)?
• Where's the nearest AED? Who will retrieve it?
• Environmental concerns? (heat index, air quality, lightning)

What Is Included On The Pre-Contest Timeout Card (Back)?

Emergency Information: The BACK of the pre-contest timeout card is for you to edit and include your venue/site specific information and important contacts. The form is fillable so you can provide your own information in the boxes. Include phone numbers of individuals that need to be contacted in the event of an emergency or situation. These individuals could include the athletic director, principal, security, school resource officer, athletic trainer, game manager, etc. Each school is unique as to who they have in attendance at a particular contest.

Venue Address: Include the general address for the contest (i.e. stadium, school, soccer field, etc.)

EMS Arrival: Include directions on how EMS will access your specific location.

FAQ

If there are multiple events occurring, should they each have a pre-event safety timeout?

Events at different venues should each have one (e.g., soccer and volleyball).
Events at the same venue may not need multiple meetings. For example, if JV and varsity play back-to-back, and the same personnel will be there, then another meeting is unneeded. However, if different individuals are responsible for responding to an emergency, then have another meeting.

How long should it take?

It depends on the school, the event, and the venue, but generally it should take less than a couple of minutes to answer the questions.

What happens if one or more of the questions cannot be answered?

The host school should work to correct any deficiencies. The OSAA Sports Advisory Committee can be consulted for help.

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

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Air Quality Guidelines

These guidelines, created in consultation with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), provide a default policy to those responsible or sharing duties for making decisions concerning the cancelation, suspension, and/or restarting of practices and contests based on poor air quality.

A. Designate Personnel: Given the random behavior of wind and air currents, air quality may change quickly. Schools shall designate someone who will monitor the air quality prior to and during outdoor activities. While typically due to wildfires, schools need to also consider non-wildfire situations if the air quality is unhealthy.

B. Areas With Air Reporting Stations: The Air Quality Index (AQI) should be monitored throughout the day, and during an event, to have the best data possible to make informed decisions about conducting practices and competitions. Schools should always defer to the monitor that is the nearest physical distance to the practice or contest facility. School personnel shall review the AQI information for all regions throughout the state to determine if action is necessary (see chart below). Schools shall regularly review the AQI throughout events to assess deteriorating conditions. School personnel shall use the AirNow Fire and Smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/. This map shows circles for DEQ/AirNow monitors and squares for Purple Air monitors. Purple Air monitors have been calibrated by EPA to provide data comparable to permanent monitors.

C. Areas Without Air Reporting Stations: If air monitoring equipment is not available, member schools should utilize the 5-3-1 Visibility Index to determine air quality.

1. 5-3-1 Visibility Index: Making visual observations using the 5-3-1 Visibility Index is a simple way to estimate air quality and know what precautions to take. While this method can be useful, you should always use caution and avoid going outside if visibility is limited, especially if you are sensitive to smoke.
   1. Determine the limit of your visual range by looking for distant targets or familiar landmarks such as mountains, mesas, hills, or buildings at known distances. The visual range is that point at which these targets are no longer visible. As a rule of thumb: If you can clearly see the outlines of individual trees on the horizon it is generally less than five miles away. It is highly recommended that schools use pre-determined landmarks that were established on a clear day to determine their visual range.
   2. Ideally, the viewing of any distant targets should be made with the sun behind you. Looking into the sun or at an angle increases the ability of sunlight to reflect off of the smoke, thus making the visibility estimate less reliable.
   3. Be aware that conditions may change rapidly and always use the more conservative of multiple metrics (AQI, 5-3-1 Visibility Index, etc.).

Visibility Distances

D. Act: This chart will help determine the action needed based on the air quality in your area.

E. Additional Resources: Schools may also refer to OHA's fact sheet regarding School Outdoor Activities During Wildfire Events at https://apps.state.or.us/Forms/Served/le8815h.pdf.

F. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Rules: Schools should familiarize themselves with Oregon OSHA permanent rules adopted in Summer 2022 regarding reducing heat and wildfire smoke outdoor workplace exposure for employees. OSHA resources can be accessed here for Heat – https://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/topics/heat-stress.aspx and Wildfires https://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/topics/wildfires.aspx.

It's everyone's responsibility to help prevent human-caused wildfires. Keep Oregon Green’s goal is to remind every Oregon resident and tourist to practice basic wildfire safety while visiting Oregon's scenic areas, and raise awareness of weather conditions, restrictions and wildfire prevention activities around the state.

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Lightning Safety Guidelines

A. These guidelines provide a default policy to those responsible or sharing duties for making decisions concerning the suspension and restarting of practices and contests based on the presence of lightning or thunder.

B. Proactive Planning:

1. Assign staff to monitor local weather conditions before and during practices and contests.
2. Develop an evacuation plan, including identification of appropriate nearby safe areas and determine the amount of time needed to get everyone to a designated area.
   1. A designated safer place is a substantial building with plumbing and wiring where people live or work, such as a school, gymnasium, or library. An alternate safer place for the threat of lightning is a fully enclosed (not convertible or soft top) metal car or school bus.
3. Develop criteria for suspension and resumption of play:
   1. When thunder is heard or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen*, the leading edge of the thunderstorm is close enough to strike your location with lightning. Suspend play for at least 30 minutes and vacate the outdoor activity to the previously designated safer location immediately.
   2. Thirty-minute Rule: Once play has been suspended, wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard or flash of lightning is witnessed * prior to resuming play.
   3. Any subsequent thunder or lightning* after the beginning of the 30-minute count will reset the clock and another 30-minute count should begin.
   4. When lightning detection devices or mobile phone apps are available, this technology could be used to assist in making a decision to suspend play if a lightning strike is noted to be within 10 miles of the event location. However, you should never depend on the reliability of these devices and, thus, hearing thunder or seeing lightning* should always take precedence over information from a mobile app or lightning detection device.
   *At night under certain atmospheric conditions, lightning flashes may be seen from distant storms. In these cases, it may be safe to continue an event. If no thunder can be heard and the flashes are low on the horizon, the storm may not pose a threat. Independently verified lightning detection information would help eliminate any uncertainty.
4. Review annually with all administrators, coaches, and game personnel and train all personnel.
5. Inform student athletes of the lightning policy at start of season.

C. For more detailed information, refer to the "Lightning and Thunder Safety" section contained in the NFHS Sports Medicine Handbook.

Additional Sports Medicine Resources

OSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Resources

OHA Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) Information for ADs, Coaches, Athletic Trainers, and Parents

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources

Oregon Health Authority / OSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Information

Pre-Participation Physical Exam Forms

Infection Control

Sports Medicine and Medical Related Organizations

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