Lesson 10: Exercise for Fitness

As you participate in physical activities, whether in school or in the community,

it is good practice to know your school and community’s resources in case of injury or
emergency. Being familiar with it makes response to injuries or emergencies more
immediate and efficient, thus lessening the severity of the injury or emergency.

Resources refer to the supplies, equipment, facilities, and services that can be
utilized in case of a sports- or fitness-related injury or emergency. They include both
material and human resources such as safety supplies, equipment, facilities, qualified
and trained emergency personnel, as well as standard protocols set for such
situations. Emergency response begins with the preparation of both equipment and
personnel. When these have been prepared adequately, the school and community
are deemed ready for an injury or emergency.

It is important that you are able to identify these resources so that injuries or
emergencies will be addressed immediately and efficiently. These resources are
discussed here.

First Aid Kit

First aid is the immediate care given to a person who

has been injured or suddenly become ill. First aid deals with
self-help and proper home care, especially if medical
assistance is not immediately available. The goal of first aid
is to alleviate suffering, prevent added/further injury or
danger, and prolong life.

The first aid kit is a set of supplies and equipment

used to administer first aid. In your school and community,
first aid kits should be available, visible, and readily
accessible in case of injuries or emergencies. It should also
be regularly checked for completeness and freshness of
supplies. Image taken from www.emedco.com

The usual supplies found in a first aid kit include the following:
 triangular bandage  rubbing alcohol  gloves  iodine
 tongue depressor  swabs  gauze  scissors
 wound dressings  athletic tape  cotton  penlight
 adhesive bandage  forceps

Other equipment that should be included to aid in first aid are the following:
 spine board  blankets
 sets of splints  short board/Kendrick’s
extrication device
 wheelchair  poles

The first aid kit is usually located in strategic places in school like the clinic,
gym, playground, and security stations. In the community, first aid kits should be
located in the community centers like community hall or office and recreation centers.

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It is advisable that a signage be placed where the first aid kit and equipment are
located. This can either be attached to a wall or post or suspended.

Activity 1: Search for it!

Directions: Do an ocular visit of your school gym, community hall, and
recreation center. Look for emergency response equipment and
supplies including first aid kit, spine board, etc. Note down if there are
signage for these and if these are accessible in case of injury or
emergency. Complete the checklist and write their observations.
First Aid kit sign (www.seton.ca)

Recreation
School Gym Community Hall
Center
First aid kit
Emergency
numbers and
phone
(List them here.)

Emergency
equipment

Visibility
Accessibility

Observations

Emergency Numbers and Phone/Two-way Radio

Emergency numbers include police
department, fire department, Philippine Red
Cross (PRC), and other pertinent numbers. These
numbers are usually compiled per area (i.e.
locality, municipality, city) and written on a calling
card or bookmark or even larger. In schools,
emergency numbers could include the clinic,
security, and other offices. Image taken from www.smartsign.com

Emergency numbers should also be posted near phones and inside offices. It
is advisable that in the gym and recreation centers, phones are visible so that school

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personnel or other individuals can notify pertinent offices or departments in case of
injury or emergency.

Emergency Response Procedure/Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

For schools and the community
(and in any other institution), the
presence of first aid kits, emergency
numbers and phones, and equipment
should not be the end of their
emergency response. They should set
procedures on how to respond to
injuries or emergencies. These
procedures are standard ways of
responding to emergencies.

These procedures make up what is called an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). It is

a plan developed for immediate implementation whenever the need arises, providing
appropriate standards of emergency care to all present. The EAP usually include the
following:

1. Emergency Personnel – detailed First Aid arrangements for on-site

emergencies; may consist of teachers, physicians and nurses, athletic
coaches, security and maintenance personnel (for schools), or community
leaders, and homeowners’ association president, (for community)
2. Emergency Communication – emergency numbers, phones/two-way radio,
public announcement (PA) system
3. Emergency Equipment – first aid kit, wheelchair, spine board, stretcher,
blankets, poles, etc
4. Medical Transportation – confirmation of local ambulance (c/o PRC), Basic
Life Support, etc
5. Non-medical Transportation – wheelchairs, stretcher, etc
6. Emergency Contact List – clinic, local hospital, etc
7. Venue Information – transportations, identified entrance, exits, and access
routes

School personnel (e.g. teachers, security and maintenance personnel) and

community leaders know, understand, and follow these procedures every time an
emergency happens because it has been standardized. These procedures are usually
laid out in writing so that personnel crucial in the emergency response are notified and
that immediate attention is given.

In the community, it is advisable to form a community emergency response

team which will be the emergency personnel in your EAP. It is advisable that the
members of the community know who forms this emergency response team.

You may not know all the procedures of your school and community in
responding to emergencies. However, what is important is you know who to notify in
case an emergency happens. The most immediate personnel you need to notify in
case you are in your school especially in the gym are the PE teachers or any teacher
present, maintenance personnel, or security personnel.

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Activity 2: And the procedures are…?
Directions: Interview school personnel and community leaders regarding the
emergency response procedures they follow. When interviewing school personnel,
remind students to try to target those who they think are unlikely to experience injuries
or emergencies to know what procedures these school personnel know and follow.

In class, compare your answers with your classmates who interviewed school
personnel within the same office or nature of work (e.g. librarians, Math teachers,
office staff) and share these with the class. For those belonging to the same
community, compare your answers and present commonalities with the class as well.

Choose random school personnel to know if emergency response procedures

in school are known and followed by all. Ask them as well to find out if emergency
response procedures already exist in the community. This is crucial since awareness,
presence of mind, and adherence of individuals to the emergency response
procedures are factors in the effectiveness of emergency response.

Part of the services that the school and community should offer is training their
personnel and community leaders in emergency responses. This is expected since
the effectiveness of emergency response greatly relies on the knowledge and skills of
school personnel and community leaders in first aid and other emergency responses.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is the national branch of the International
Red Cross that cares for the
wounded, sick, and homeless and
now, providing help during and
following natural disasters. PRC
gives training on basic life
support, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and
many more. The school and
community should set a schedule
with PRC volunteers who can
impart the necessary knowledge,
training, and certifications to equip
them in times of emergency and
disasters. Red Cross volunteers during a Basic Training course
(taken from http://carmonagov.net/home/home/latest-
Once certified, school news/303-carmona-forms-municipal-red-cross-143.html)
personnel and community leaders
should be able to respond to injuries and emergencies. However, certification should
be renewed yearly or every two years, depending on the type of certification.

Entrance, Exit, and Access Routes

Adequate entry and exit points should be available in all areas. Access routes
(paths of travel) going to the clinic, emergency exits, main gate, and others should
also be known. Visible and strategically located signages are important so that these
can easily be seen even from a distance. They should always be accessible and free
from obstructions. Wide passageways are a must. A good estimate of the right width

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of the passageway is to check if a wheelchair, spine board, or stretcher can be easily
transported and still have room for first aiders or rescuers to maneuver.

Ramps and elevators make access easier and are necessary especially for
structures that are higher than three storeys. They also make transport quicker.

Wheelchair ramp (Image taken from

http://stlouis.101mobility.com/wheelchair-ramps-stlouis.php)

Activity 3: Real life injury situation

Directions: Ask the students to
analyze a real life injury situation
involving an athlete. Ask them
what emergency response
procedures they think were
followed?

Ara Galang, De La Salle

University volleyball player, got
injured in a match versus National
University in March 7, 2015. She
was grimacing in pain and crying,
and was later reported to have suffered serious injuries to her knees. What do you
think were the emergency response procedures followed by the emergency personnel
who attended to her?

Activity 4: Safety features in school

Directions: Review their answers to Activity 5 on “Safety features in school” from the
previous lesson. Based on the current lesson, analyze your answers if it reflects your
school as being equipped with necessary resources in case of injury or emergency.
Give special attention to entrances, exits, and access routes. Once identified, ask
your group to make recommendations to improve each area of the school to make it
emergency-ready.

Activity 5: Safety features in the community

Directions: Do the same activity as in Activity 3 in their community. Identify safety
features that are visible in the community and

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those that only community leaders have access to. Make a short portfolio about your
findings and make recommendations.

Activity 6: First Aid Certification and Basic Life Saving Course

Directions: Identify local Red Cross office near your school or community. Inquire
regarding necessary procedures to be able to have a first aid and basic life saving
course in your school and/or community.
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