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First Aid & Defibrillators

HEART AWARENESS

Health checks
Players over 35 years of age or returning to the game after a break should visit their GP to have a heart & health check prior to starting the season.

Defibrillators
Defibrillators or AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) have become a vital piece of equipment for football clubs, already saving the lives of players, referees, club officials and spectators in football around the world.

In cardiac arrest events, CPR is commenced and an AED is attached to the person’s chest to analyse the heart rhythm to determine if a shock is required to restart it.  The AED determines if the person’s heart is in a “shockable rhythm” and if so, the machine delivers a shock to try and kick the heart back into a normal rhythm. When the heart is restarted, the person will commence breathing on their own and may even become conscious again.

If a person is not in a “shockable rhythm”, the machine will not provide a shock.  Modern defibrillators are designed to analyse the heart and only deliver a shock if a shock is required.

Most modern AEDs provide voice instructions on how to operate it and in some models CPR feedback is provided to assist the responder in maintaining a good rate of CPR.

Included with most AEDs is a small kit with items such as a razor (to remove chest hair on males), gloves, face mask for CPR breaths and scissors to cut the patient’s shirt and undergarments to enable quick access to the chest.

It is important to remember that a defibrillator is always used in conjunction with CPR.

The Importance of Checking your Club Defibrillator
Having a defib is great, but making sure it will work when you need it is what is MOST important!  Defibrillators are life saving devices and must be ready to use at all times.  Clubs must regularly check that the AED Indicator shows that the machine is working and check if the battery or pads have expired.  All defibrillators do regular self-checks and will indicate any errors or if maintenance is required by either beeping or showing red or X in the display.  If your club already has a defibrillator, you must ensure someone conducts regular recorded checks that the machine is operational, and remember, if the defibrillator is used, the electrode pads on the machine must be replaced.

Can lives be saved by defibrillators?
The use of a defibrillator in conjunction with effective CPR can help to save lives.  A number of lives have been saved in football in Australia and around the world with early and effective CPR and use of a defibrillator.

Getting a Defibrillator for your Club or Tea
Having an operational AED on hand significantly increases the chance of survival for people who have a sudden cardiac arrest.    Choosing an AED & implementing an AED program at your club

Buying a Defibrillator and Grant Programs

Defibrillator Cabinets
Defibrillators can be mounted in a clubhouse or changerooms on a mounting bracket or in a cabinet. Where a defibrillator is purchased for a team, it can be kept in the team kit bag or mounted on a portable bracket adjacent to the centre line where is it easily accessible for both teams.

Defibrillator brackets and cabinets are available from most defibrillator suppliers.  Cabinets can be lockable or non-lockable and some can also be alarmed so that an alarm sounds when the cabinet is opened.  The type of cabinet required for your club will depend on where the defibrillator will be located, how secure it will be and how accessible you want it to be, as quick access to a defibrillator is vital in an emergency response.

 

FIRST AID & INJURIES

First Aid Training

First Aid Kits & Contents

Fact Sheets

Concussion
FFA Concussion Guidelines set out the guiding principles regarding the management of concussion in football in Australia. All incidents of concussion are required to be treated in accordance with the FFA Concussion Guidelines including clearance by a Medical Practitioner and adherence to the Return to Play Program.

Returning to Play after Concussion
Return to play should be in accordance with Concussion Guidelines and include:

  • a clearance by a qualified Medical Practitioner before a player can return to training or playing, and
  • a minimum of 6 days before a player can play a competitive game – if return to play is managed by a Medical Practitioner
  • a minimum of 14 days before a player can play a competitive game – if return to play is not managed by a Medical Practitioner.

Injury Reporting
If you have been injured contact your club regarding the process for reporting and recording your injury.  Clubs should use an injury report form for recording participant injuries.  A record of all injuries should be retained by clubs for insurance reference purposes.

Report form templates for clubs:

The Serious Injury Report form is used to report an injury to the FNSW insurers that results in a participant being admitted to hospital.

 

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Emergency Planning

In an emergency Dial Triple Zero (000)

When to Call an Ambulance – Triple Zero (000)
In urgent medical situations it is most important that you ring Triple Zero (000) and ask for AMBULANCE.  Do not panic or drive to hospital yourself. People driving themselves to hospital in urgent medical situations have often come to grief, not only risking further injury to themselves, but also to everyone else on the road.

Examples of medical emergencies:

  • Sudden collapse
  • Unconsciousness
  • Seizures
  • Chest pain
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Neck or spine injuries
  • Injuries to the head or face
  • Fractured bones
  • Uncontrollable bleeding
  • Motor vehicle/cycle accident

NSW Ambulance Posters & Club Resources
NSW Ambulance paramedics are highly trained health professionals. They bring modern emergency and resuscitation equipment tot he patient and commence lifesaving treatment at the scene as well as continuing this on the way to hospital.

Who pays for my ambulance bill?
The injured person is responsible for payment of any ambulance bill relating to their injury.  The good news is that ‘ambulance’ is a claimable benefit under the FNSW Personal Injury Insurance and in most cases can be reimbursed once a claim has been lodged and a copy of the receipt from NSW Ambulance is provided.  For more information go to Football NSW Insurance  All claims and benefits are subject to the FNSW Personal Injury policy terms and conditions.

Club Posters

Other Links

MENTAL HEALTH

The physical benefits of playing sport are well known. Exercise can build stronger bones and muscles, help manage your weight, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce the risks of heart disease.  There are also some huge mental health benefits to participation in sport, including to improve your mood, improve your concentration, reduce stress, improve sleep habits, boost your self-confidence, social benefits, learning the value of teamwork, developing leadership skills, learning how to deal with setbacks, and to build resilience.

Visit our Mental Health & Wellbeing webpage for more information

Acknowledgements
FNSW wishes to acknowledge the NSW Office of Sport, NSW Ambulance, Sports Medicine Australia, The Michael Hughes Foundation, The Marc Arcuri Foundation and Heartbeat of Football for their continued support and assistance to FNSW and its member clubs and associations.

FOOTBALL NSW ASSOCIATIONS