In Case of Emergencies

Call 911 if injury or illness involves:

• Head Trauma that includes loss of consciousness, nausea, and/or memory loss
• Mechanism of injury for spinal cord injury
• Diabetic emergency
• Severe shortness of breath
• Symptoms of heart attack
• Severe sudden onset illness
• Anaphalaxis
• Individual who can not form a water tight seal with their mouth is submerged for any amount of time
• Any time staff are concerned that an incident could have serious implications (ie, a person displaying unusual behavior, unexpected seizure; individual who is unable to make a sound decision for themselves d/t altered mental status, age, or intellectual disability)

Follow up actions

• Suspend program in order to focus on emergency; end program early if needed
• Call Park HQ
• Call AOA executive director for follow-up
• 1 staff member accompanies participant in ambulance if needed
• Fill out incident report

Instruct individual to visit their doctor or urgent care if injury or illness involves:

• Fall that includes hard bump to the head but does not include loss of consciousness, nausea/vomiting, or memory loss
• Cut that can’t be adequately cleaned or that may require stitches
• Cut, scrape, or bruise to the skin of someone with compromised circulation
• A fall that could have caused a sprain or fracture
• Any individual who is submerged and experiences coughing afterwards
• Skin rash or illness

Follow up actions

• Give written directions to nearest hospital or recommend follow up with dr. or primary care
• Call AOA executive director (who will follow up later)
• Fill out incident report

Provide first aid in the field if injury or illness involves:

• Minor cuts, bruising, insect sting, skin irritation
• Foreign object in the eye that can be flushed out
• Minor fall that the individual recovers quickly from
• Individual with minor heat or cold challenge who responds quickly to treatment

Follow up actions

• Complete incident report
• Note if first aid supplies need to be replenished

Call 911 and Park Headquarters immediately:

• Individual is unable to respond to name when called
• Individual is not appropriately dressed for the day’s conditions
• Individual needs the assistance of a caregiver to keep self safe and is separated from that caregiver
• Environmental or weather conditions pose an immediate safety threat (ie, lightning storm, snowstorm, extreme cold, darkness, presence of lake/pond/stream if missing person is someone who would be attracted to it)

Conduct a 10-minute hasty search before calling 911 and Park Headquarters:

• Individual will respond to name when called
• Individual is appropriately dressed for a short exposure (30 minutes or less) in the day’s conditions
• Has a history of limited independence (ie, can walk to restroom unaccompanied, may participate in programs with caregiver nearby but does not require 100% supervision)
• Environmental or weather conditions are deteriorating or would be a concern with 30 minutes or more of exposure (ie, pending thunderstorm or snowstorm, hour or less before sunset, windchill of 25 or below, rain in temperatures of 60 or below)

Conduct a 20-minute hasty search before calling 911 and Park Headquarters:

• Individual will respond to name when called
• Has a history of independence (ie, lives independently, drives, etc.)
• Individual is appropriately dressed for the day’s weather
• Environmental or weather conditions are not a concern (ie, windchills above 25 degrees, not raining, an hour or more before sunset)