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First Aid & Defibrillators

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Check your Club Defibrillator – Is it working, have the AED Pads or Battery expired?

AEDs are life saving devices, so it is critical that your AED is always ready to use!   Please ensure: You set up & maintain the unit to the manufacturer’s requirements. The battery is ALWAYS inserted as AEDs have their own power source without the need for installation or hardwiring. Electrode Pads are ALWAYS inserted and have not expired (expired pads will lose their ability to stick to the patients chest).  Check that the AED Indicator shows that the machine is working. (If the indicator turns to red flashing light or red X or the machine is beeping to alert that maintenance is required contact the provider immediately).  All AEDs do regular self-checks and will let you know of any errors. Develop a maintenance program to do regular recorded checks that the machine is operational.  If you use the AED, ensure you REPLACE the electrode pads on the machine as pads can only be used once.

NEWS

NSW Ambulance posters for Clubs

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 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.

Emergency Response

In an emergency Dial Triple Zero (000)

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 & Forms

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 Planning, First Aid & Training

Emergency Planning

First Aid Training

First Aid Kits & Contents

Injury Fact Sheets

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.

Mental Health Support

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Defibrillators

The defibrillator (Automated External Defibrillator or AED) has become a vital piece of equipment for football clubs and has been responsible for saving the lives of players, referees, club officials and spectators.

In cardiac arrest events, CPR commences and an AED is attached to the person’s chest to analyse the heart to determine if a shock is required to attempt 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.

If a person is not in a “shockable rhythm”, the machine will not provide a shock. The machine cannot be misused.

The AED provides voice instructions on how to operate it and in most models CPR feedback is provided to assist the responder in maintaining a good rate of CPR.

Included is a rescue kit with items that are required including a razor (to remove chest hair on males), gloves, face mask for CPR rescue breaths and scissors (to cut clothing).

It is important to remember that a defibrillator is always used in conjunction with CPR and DOES NOT replace a person doing CPR.

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 with early and effective CPR and use of a defibrillator.

Getting an AED for your Club or Team

Having an AED at your club increases the chance of survival for people who have a sudden cardiac arrest.

Buying a Defibrillator and Grant Programs

Defibrillator Cabinets

           

Alarmed (not lockable)          Lockable

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 our member clubs and associations.

FOOTBALL NSW ASSOCIATIONS