Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletic Department
Catastrophic Incident Guidelines
I. Introduction and Definition of Catastrophic Incident
The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics Department’s Catastrophic Incident Guideline will be activated when the following catastrophic incidents (CI) occur:
1. Sudden Death of a Student-Athlete, Coach, or Staff Member
- Death during competition, practice, or conditioning
- Death during travel
- CMS Athletics Department official business
- Personal (e.g. automobile, airline accidents)
- Non-athletic accidents (e.g. falls at home)
- Unknown medical anomalies (e.g. heart attacks, stroke, illness)
- Victim of a crime (e.g. homicide)
- Suicide
2. Disability/Quality of Life Altering Injuries
- Either during CMS Athletics Department participation and/or travel, or during non-athletic activities.
- Spinal Cord Injury-resulting in partial or complete paralysis
- Loss of Paired Organ
- Severe Head Injury
- Injuries resulting in severely diminished mental capacity or other neurological injury that results in inability to perform daily functions (e.g. coma)
- Irrecoverable loss of speech or hearing (both ears) or sight (both eyes) or both arms or both legs or one arm and one leg
II. Catastrophic Incident Management Team (CIMT)
- President
- Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students
- Dean of Students
- Dean (of Students) on call
- Vice President for Planning and Administration/General Counsel
- Associate Vice President for Public Affairs & Communications
- Athletic Director
- Head of Sports Medicine
- Emergency Preparedness and Safety Manager
- Team Physician
- Sports Information Director
- The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) Risk Management
- TCCS Student Health Services
- Others as deemed necessary by the CIMT
III. Immediate Action Plan
The following action plan will be implemented by CIMT in order to properly manage a catastrophic incident. The CMS Athletics Department working with the CIMT will keep in mind the following goals while applying these steps:
- Gather all pertinent facts regarding the incident accurately and expeditiously
- Name of Athlete/Individual
- School they Attend
- Event
- Location Where Incident Occurred
- Name/Location of Facility Transported To
- Nature of Injury
- Contact Person/Phone Number
- Accurately document all events, especially list all participants and witnesses, and if possible contact information
- Secure any or all available materials/equipment involved in the incident
- Respect the dignity of the individuals involved
- Immediate coordination of communication within the catastrophic incident management team (CIMT)
- Only the President, Associate Vice President for Public Affairs, or individuals they designate, are to speak concerning the incident to family members, other staff members, student-athletes or coaches- No one else has clearance to speak concerning the incident
- No one from the College is to speak to the media or any agency outside of the College concerning the incident. The exception to this mandate will be any requested interview by law enforcement or fire authority/paramedic personnel during the course of that agency’s investigation. Instruct student-athletes that they are not to speak to anyone regarding the incident
- Any communication with the media is handled through the College Spokesperson. All information deemed appropriate for release to the media will be determined by College Spokesperson or President.
Home Practice/Game
- The CMS Emergency Action Plan with regards to a home practice/game will be followed if a CI occurs
- The Certified Athletic Trainer will contact Campus Safety at 909-607-2000 (or 911) for emergency response who will contact the CMC Dean on call
- If 911 is called, a secondary phone call to campus safety shall be made to begin the notification process of the Dean on Call
- The Athletic Trainer will ask Campus Safety to have the Dean on call return their call at the phone number provided at the time to gather pertinent information.
- A CMS Athletic Trainer, a member of the coaching staff, and/or other personnel will accompany the injured student-athlete to the medical facility with the injured student athlete’s emergency medical or individual insurance information if available. (once the game/practice has completed, the CMS Certified Athletic Trainer will immediately proceed to the medical facility).
- Once at the medical facility, the designated individual will contact the Certified Athletic Trainer directly with any medical updates.
- The chain of command for CI’s will then be followed.
- The Athletic Trainer will maintain communications with the VP for Student Affairs or Dean of Students to provide regular updates.
Away Practice/Game
- The Head Coach and/or Certified Athletic Trainer will assist in the practice/game site’s emergency action plan.
- If no Certified Athletic Trainer is present, then contact the Head Athletic Trainer directly on his/her cellular phone once the initial emergency response has been managed.
- The Certified Athletic Trainer will contact Campus Safety at 909-607-2000 (or 911) for emergency response who will contact the CMC Dean on Call. If 911 is called a secondary phone call to Campus Safety shall be made to begin the notification process of the Dean on Call
- The Athletic Trainer will ask Campus Safety to have the Dean on Call return their call at the phone number provided at that time to gather pertinent information.
- A CMS Certified Athletic Trainer, a member of the coaching staff, and/or other personnel will accompany the injured student-athlete to the medical facility with the injured student/athlete’s emergency medical /insurance information
- Once the game/practice is completed, the CMS Certified Athletic Trainer will immediately proceed to the medical facility
- Once at the medical facility, the designated individual will contact the certified athletic trainer directly with any medical updates.
- The Chain of Command for CI’s will then be followed
- The Athletic Trainer will maintain communications with the VP for Student Affairs or Dean of Students to provide regular updates.
IV. Chain of Command and Areas of Action
After being informed of a catastrophic incident, the following individuals should be notified to commence his or her responsibilities as set forth below:
- During CMS Athletics Department participation/travel:
Director of Sports Medicine Services or Director of Athletics
- Non CMS Athletics Department activities:
Director of Athletics
Director of Athletics
- Notified by Dean of Students or Director of Sports Medicine Services of a catastrophic incident.
- Notifies Chief Human Resources Officer (only if incident is related to an employee)
- Notifies additional athletic department administrative staff (SWA, Assistant Athletic Directors and Sports Information Director)
- In the event the CI is non-athletic, the Director of Athletics notifies the Head Coach of the Sport
- Notifies NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative
Dean of Students
Will additionally contact and work with the following as the incident progresses
- Notifies emergency contact of student-athlete
- Notifies Dean of Students for Scripps or Harvey Mudd if athlete is a student of those institutions.
- Help facilitate efforts of Athletic Department and Counseling Services and work together as the Catastrophic incident Stress Management Team (for counseling of team, coaches, staff)
- TCCS Student Health Services
- Other Students as needed
Head of Sports Medicine Services
- Notifies Director of Athletics, Head Team Physician, Sports Medicine Staff
- Notifies Head Coach if incident occurs during non-practice participation, or when coach may not be present (e.g. conditioning)
- Coordinates, along with Head Team Physician, communication with any physicians involved in the catastrophic incident medical care
- Communicates with Sports Information Director
- Provides any insurance information to hospital
- Notifies NCAA Catastrophic Injury Service Insurance Carrier
Team Physician
- Communicates with Director of Athletics and Head of Sports Medicine Services on medical facts and events
- Communicates with any local medical personnel hospital or medical facilities regarding medical facts of the catastrophic incident
- Works with Director of Sports Medicine Services in providing information for NCAA insurance
CMS Athletic Department Administrative Staff
- Sports Information Director: coordinate any media release with the Director of Athletics, Head Team Physician, and Director of Sports Medicine Services along with the Associate Vice President for Public Affairs. NO RELEASE will be made until parents/guardians are informed and information concerning incident has been verified for accuracy. In the event of possible negligence, legal counsel must be advised immediately and no media statement will be made until risk management and legal counsel have approved media statement.
- Athletic Department Business Manager and/or Athletic Office Coordinator: will coordinate any travel plans and housing for parents, staff, coaches or team
- Senior Woman’s Administrator and all Assistant Directors of Athletics available to assist in process as assigned by CIMT
Coaching and Support Staff
- Notify Director of Athletics and Director of Sports Medicine Services of Catastrophic Incident
- Follow Immediate Action Plan
- Encourage Student-Athletes to not discuss incident until cleared to do so by CMS Athletic Department
- Support Student-Athletes and facilitate CI Guidelines as outline
TCCS Risk Manager
- Notify CMS Insurance Carrier
- Enact any Catastrophic incident procedures for College Administration
- Work collaboratively with CMS Athletic Department to gather incident facts
- Communicate with CMC General Counsel regarding legal matters
Counseling Services
- On Call 24 Hours Daily
- Activate Catastrophic Incident Stress Management Team to provide immediate grief counseling post-incident to student-athletes, coaches, or staff members
Disability Services
- Serve as faculty liaison to campus for Athletic Department
- Notifies professors of incident and impact on class/grades
V. Criminal Circumstances (Accident, Assault, Homicide, Suicide)
Campus Safety
- Campus Safety notified immediately of catastrophic incident involving possible criminal activity
- Campus Safety communicates with Claremont Police Department
- Campus Safety communicates information as appropriate to VP for Student Affairs or Dean of Students
VI. Away Contests - Coaches, Administrators, and Staff Members
- Lead Athletic Trainer will immediately notify Director of Athletics and Director of Sports Medicine Services of Catastrophic Incident
- Work with local hospital, Sports Medicine Staff, Athletic Department or Police to assist in process and gather information to update the Director of Athletics and/or Director of Sports Medicine Services
- The Head Coach and/or Administrator remains on site after team departs to coordinate communication and arrangement with College Administration until relieved by a College Representative
- TCCS Risk Manager is notified of the incident
VII. Summary Chronicle
- A detailed written summary chronicle will be prepared following any catastrophic incident which identifies and explains the activities of those who participated in and responded to the incident
- This chronicle will be used to critique the process, its efficiency and effectiveness, and will be used as the basis for review of the procedures
Adapted from: Syracuse College, Neal, TL & NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook
|