Bombers, Jets have protocols in place in the event of medical emergencies

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This article was published 05/01/2023 (719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anyone playing a contact sport was likely shaken by the crushing collision involving Damar Hamlin on Monday night that left the Buffalo Bills safety fighting for his life.

Hamlin made a tackle, slumped to the field and went into cardiac arrest. He had to be resuscitated on the field before being taken to a nearby Cincinnati hospital in ambulance.

Pro athletes in Winnipeg say it’s impossible to ignore the dangers that come with the way they make their living.

“It’s your biggest fear. That’s a situation where, you know, our sport turns pretty ugly and obviously, football and hockey are different, but there’s quite a bit of similarities just in terms of the physicality. It can be pretty brutal sometimes,” Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler said Thursday.

“It gives you pause, for sure. You’ve gotta give a lot of credit to everyone who helped him, really at this point, and got him to a position where he’s pointed in the right direction. So, their medical team in Cincinnati and Buffalo, it was pretty extraordinary to see their response. It was pretty awesome. So, that’s kind of the small positive out of it. But it’s heartbreaking, it’s terrifying and tough to watch.”

Winnipeg Blue Bombers left tackle Stanley Bryant shared a similar sentiment on Friday at a press conference at IG Field.

“Very unfortunate situation. It’s really kind of nerve-wracking, because you really don’t know the details of what necessarily happened or how it happened. You can’t even really call it freakish, because it’s more than freakish. It’s scary because we never know,” said Bryant. “We go out there each and every play, but it’s always like a knee injury or ankle, head injury. It’s never a situation like that. It was scary. Prayers to his family and to him.”

The Free Press reached out to the Bombers and Jets to see how a similar situation would be handled during a game in Winnipeg. Neither team granted this reporter permission to speak with someone on the medical staff or with anyone in the front office about the matter. Both clubs offered statements instead.

Bombers: The Canadian Football League, in working with the CFL Players Association and each team, has established a league-wide standard and protocols for health and safety.

Each team has certified Athletic Therapists, all of whom are Sports First Responders and undergo training for emergency situations. The Head AT is a certified Sports Emergency Medical Responder (EMR).

Each team also has a physician on the sidelines during games and each stadium has a dedicated ambulance/paramedics for the players at each game.

Jets: True North Sports + Entertainment adheres to all National Hockey League gameday protocols, which include procedures designed to handle medical emergencies affecting anyone in attendance at a Winnipeg Jets game, including players.

While the Jets didn’t get into the specifics with their statement, the Free Press learned through the NHLPA that teams must have a minimum of three physicians — an orthopedic surgeon, a primary care sports medicine physician and an emergency medicine physician — within 50 feet from the players’ bench. Automated external defibrillator (AED) machines are also in close proximity to each bench.

Arenas are required to have two ambulances — one for players and one for fans. Ambulances are staffed by emergency personnel certified in airway management including intubation and IV access. If a player or fan requires an ambulance, another one will be brought on site to replace the one leaving. If both ambulances are away, play stops until another one arrives.

As for the teams’ athletic trainers, they’re put in annual emergency workshops that deal with how to manage a collapsed athlete. Each team must have an Emergency Action Plan in place for both the game arena and practice arena, and regularly conduct an emergency scenario rehearsal before the beginning of the season. And as a precaution, players are screened for serious cardiac conditions during their preseason physical examination.

The CFLPA did not respond to a similar request for info by press deadline.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31