Five things sports parents should know about how schools plan for emergencies

Eight weeks into the high school football season, the Greater Cincinnati area has seen at least three players leave games in ambulances, players from Hughes, Scott and Beechwood high schools.

In those incidents, athletic trainers dispatched the ambulances using a "better-safe-than-sorry" philosophy.

Seeing children put into ambulances can be scary so here are five things parents should know about how schools plan for medical emergencies in athletics.

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1. State associations set guidelines but do not oversee or enforce policies

The Ohio and Kentucky high school athletic associations have official policies on their websites that outline the training and protocol for things like heat illness, concussions and air quality.

However, after coaches and schools have completed training to meet certification requirements at the beginning of the year, there is no oversight from the state associations to make sure best practices are being followed.

Emily Mason, a senior sports administrator at the Ohio High School Athletic Association, said they take a hands-off approach to health and safety in the day-to-day and rely on the schools and teams to manage themselves.

More: Scott football player released from hospital after leaving game in an ambulance

2. Concussions are tracked – but not by sport or school

“The OHSAA currently requires schools to submit a report if a concussion occurs or if there is a sports-related death. Beyond those two items, we do not require schools to conduct incident reports. We do like to follow up with the schools based on either a concussion report or a death, as a courtesy or a condolence,” Mason said.

After those reports are filed, however, not much is done with them. According to Molly Downard, an OHSAA executive assistant, concussion reports are organized by school year and alphabetically by the student’s last name but the data is not tracked by sport or by location even though the incident report forms call for such information.

3. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for high school athletes but is not tracked by state agencies

According to the Mayo Clinic, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes, estimating that number to be about 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 80,000 athletes annually nationwide.

OHSAA and KHSAA underscore that risk in their policies and advocate for having an AED (automated external defibrillator) on site for athletic events.

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Ohio offers special pricing to schools for AEDs through the Ohio Council of Educational Purchasing Consortia (OCEPC). Kentucky does not have a buying program but does provide links to peer-reviewed articles on the benefits of AED availability and to videos from NFL Player Health and Safety on recognizing and reacting to cardiac events.

4. Athletic directors, coaches and trainers plan for emergencies

It is ultimately up to the athletic directors and trainers to build an emergency plan. When it comes to medical safety, the guidelines from OHSAA state: “There is no OHSAA bylaw that mandates a medical personnel presence at an athletic practice or event. District policies and procedures for medical assistance supersede all OHSAA policies.”

Cincinnati Public Schools, the city's largest school district, currently does not have a district policy for mandatory medical personnel at games. Individual schools make arrangements for athletic trainers or emergency services to be present.

5. Advocacy and education are key

Though not all the safeguards are in place by default, the state athletic associations and the school districts have opportunities for communities to make changes.

Ohio offers premade AED ad campaigns to promote education and use of the life-saving devices. Kentucky links to resources on an array of possible injuries or illnesses and the state runs a website specifically for information on concussions.

Parents, guardians and caregivers should know that all emergency plans must be reviewed and renewed at the start of each school year and schools are required to have specific plans for each venue that hosts sporting events. While schools are not required to make these plans public, it is a good idea to check that the coaches are aware and familiar with the official plans.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Cincinnati schools plan for sports medical emergencies