ALBANY, N.Y. – The Russell Sage College Athletic Training Staff attended the Empire 8 Conference Emergency Preparedness Workshop on Wednesday, August 2.

The day-long training brought together 41 athletic trainers from 11 different institutions to participate in the Core4® program taught by Sports Medicine Concepts.

"This workshop was a great learning experience for us as individual healthcare providers and as an athletic training team as a whole," said Alex Gilbert, Head Athletic Trainer. "Having the entire E8 there running through emergency situations allowed us to evaluate how we communicate and what we can do moving forward to make sure we are ready for any serious situations that arise."

The training, held at Keuka College, was presented thanks to support from the Empire 8 and NCAA Division III Grant Program, Henry Schein and Geneva Club Beverage.

"It is important to the Empire 8 to fund this event in support of our sports medicine professionals and the safety of our student-athletes. Athletic trainers are often our first responders in emergency life and death situations," said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. "This is a great opportunity for our institutions to assess and enhance their emergency action plan so they are prepared for crisis situations and if the conference can support that vital preparation, we must."

The concept of the workshop had been discussed for a couple of years, but the urgency intensified following a Jan. 2 incident in which Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field following cardiac arrest during a nationally televised NFL game.

"When the situation happened with Damar Hamlin in Buffalo, it ignited the fact that we have to do it, and after talking to four or five other head athletic trainers in the Empire 8, we started pursuing it," said Jeff Bray, Associate Director of Athletics for Sports Medicine and Alumni Relations and Head Athletic Trainer at Keuka College.

"The Core4® program focuses on four fundamental injury scenarios that we know are most life-threatening to athletes," explained CEO and Director of Operations at Sports Medicine Concepts Mike Cendoma. "Cervical spine injury, truncal trauma with decompensation or hypotension, cardiac arrest and arrhythmia, and isolated head trauma; those are the four that historically, and in the literature, have been identified as the most life-threatening in athletics."

The event was a rare opportunity for athletic trainers to meet and train face to face. Athletics teams' schedules, limited staffing, and travel for road contests make such gatherings challenging.

The training workshop began in the classroom with discussions and demonstrations of proper procedures and techniques. They then moved into the gymnasium and the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center to do hands-on training removing various types of sporting equipment as well as practicing CPR and other emergency responses. Following lunch, they put the training to practice with full-scale simulations.

"Sports Medicine professionals are paramount to the health and safety of our student-athletes," said Mitrano. "This event will ensure our institutions are prepared for emergency situations that are complex and require clear protocols, organization, leadership, collaboration, and clinical decision-making."