FRST (First Response for Sport Trauma) for Chagrin Valley Conference

100 Alfred Lerner Way,Cleveland OH 44114

24 May, 2021

Description

The First Response for Sports Trauma course, conceived and developed by Robert Flannery, MD of the UH Sports Medicine. FRST (First Response for Sports Trauma) is a stand-alone program that will prepare our first responders on the sidelines, and throughout the league, to consistently and expertly respond to trauma on the field of play. The Chagrin Valley Conference has some of the finest and well-trained athletic trainers and EMT’s in Northeast Ohio. The FRST course is designed to be a yearly refresher course for our Athletic Trainers and local EMT’s. FRST will also allow response team members to network and collaborate with other school districts. This will make sure everyone has the same understanding if and when a serious injury does occur. To this end, FRST is designed to: 1) Close the education gap for First Responders (paramedics, firefighters, and EMTs) with regards to unique situations and emergencies that arise during athletic events 2) Connect First Responders and the athletic medicine staff prior to formulate a unique emergency action plan for each venue. 3) Establish a regional and national dialogue and dissemination of best practices in sports emergency preparedness, with the goal to ensure a consistent understanding and approach, no matter where your teams travel and compete. The core of the FRST program provides a 2-part course, with the first part being lectures on sudden cardiac death, heat illness, cold exposure, sickle cell trait, and concussion. The second part of the course focuses on the emergency action plan, proper protective equipment removal, and a hands-on equipment removal portion. The course is taught by FRST-certified instructors, which include sports medicine and emergency physicians, paramedics, and athletic trainers. While the messaging of the course is designed for EMS professionals who have not yet been trained specifically in sports emergencies, FRST encourages the participation of athletic trainers so as to form the connections and relationships needed to ensure effective communication on the sidelines. In addition, Continuing Education Units (4 hours) are offered via the University Hospitals EMS Institute. I personally believe that everyone can never get enough continuing education!