The Preseason Venue Walkthrough

An emergency plan written in an office tends to fall apart at the field. The AED turns out to be in a locked building. The hose doesn't reach the tub. The ambulance can't get past the gate. You only find these things by standing on the ground and walking the route an emergency would take.

This walkthrough is for athletic directors, league administrators, head coaches and anyone else responsible for a venue. Do it once per field, because every field is different. Bring the coaches and volunteers who will be on site during sessions, a phone for photos, and a printed copy of your emergency action plan.

Before you go

• List every venue your program uses, including practice fields, away sites you use often, and any gym or indoor space.
• Pick a day that looks like a normal session: same time of day, same gates open, same people around.
• Bring the staff list. The walkthrough is about names, not roles.

Stop 1: The address and the gate

Start where the ambulance would arrive.

• Write down the exact street address of the field, plus any cross street or entrance name a 911 dispatcher would need.
• Find the gate or entrance an ambulance would use. Is it locked during sessions? Who has the key or code?
• Check that a vehicle can reach the field from there. Look for posts, curbs, soft ground or parked cars in the way.
• Choose one person to meet the ambulance at that gate and walk the crew in. Write their name down.

Stop 2: The AED

• Walk from the middle of the field to the AED and back. Note where it is and whether it's unlocked and signposted during every session, including weekends and evenings.
• Open the case. Check that the device is there and ready to use, following the maker's own check steps.
• Confirm which staff on site are current on CPR and AED use.
• Name the person who runs for the AED while someone else starts compressions. A collapse is treated as cardiac until proven otherwise.

Stop 3: The cooling spot

Exertional heat stroke is 100% survivable when the athlete is cooled fast, on site. That only happens if the cooling setup is already at the field.

• Pick the spot where an athlete would be cooled. It should be close to the field, in shade if possible, and reachable by the ambulance crew.
• Find the water source. Run the hose or carry the containers and see how long it takes to fill the tub. If it's slow, plan to have the tub filled before sessions start.
• Decide where the ice comes from and who brings it.
• If there's no tub, decide on the backup: a tarp held by several people, a stock tank, a kiddie pool. The best container is the one already at the field.
• Name the person who fills the tub and starts cooling.

Go over the cooling steps with everyone present:

• Call 911 and start cooling at the same time.
• Start cooling within 10 minutes, using whole-body cold-water immersion with ice agitation.
• Aim for about 102°F within 30 minutes. Cool first, transport second.
• At 104°F the body loses its ability to regulate its own temperature, so nobody waits for it to recover on its own.

Stop 4: Heat and weather checks

• Decide where heat readings will be taken and with what. Activity limits should be set by wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), not the air temperature on a phone.
• Decide who checks heat and air quality before each session, and where they write it down.
• Find the nearest safe shelter for lightning. "When thunder roars, go indoors." Write down your program's waiting period before play resumes, and who makes the call.
• Check that water and shade are available. If they aren't, the session doesn't happen until they are.

Stop 5: The field and the gear

• Walk the playing surface. Look for holes, ruts, sprinkler heads, glass and anything else that could injure a player. Note it with a photo.
• Check that goals and other movable equipment are anchored.
• Look at stored helmets and headgear. Confirm they're the certified model for the sport, and that reconditioning or retirement dates are written down.
• Name who fixes each problem and by when.

Stop 6: Run it once

Before you leave, do a short drill. Pick one person to "go down" in the middle of the field and run the plan for real:

1. Someone recognizes it and calls it out.
2. Someone calls 911 and says the address you wrote down at Stop 1.
3. Someone runs for the AED.
4. Someone goes to the cooling spot and starts the tub.
5. Someone walks to the gate to meet the ambulance.
6. Someone writes down the times.

Afterward, ask what went wrong. Something usually does, and that's why you drill.

What you should leave with

• One emergency action plan for this venue, with a name next to every job.
• A short fix list with owners and dates.
• Photos of the AED location, the cooling spot and the ambulance gate.
• A date to walk it again at the start of next season, or sooner after any incident.

Schools and leagues can build a free plan with the emergency action plan builder at nationalstaycoolday.com.

Need help?

If your school or league wants help walking a venue or putting a plan in place, contact the Council. To get your program involved in National Stay Cool Day on April 8, 2027, visit nationalstaycoolday.com.