Broken Arrow Athletic Trainers, Firefighters Prepare For Football Season

Broken Arrow firefighters are working with high school athletic trainers to prepare for the upcoming football season.

Broken Arrow Fire already has extensive training in first aid, but they can always learn more from the world of sports medicine at Broken Arrow High School.

Scoring a touchdown on game night is not easy, and with all the hard hits and high energy, avoiding injury can be difficult, too.

"We've had ruptured spleens, displaced femurs, tib fib, we've had all sorts of stuff out here," said BA Athletic Trainer Daniel Steward.

He says getting hurt on the field is part of any sport, so it's important to learn how to respond.

"Just be on the same page, we do a quick little training session. Helps us just get to know each other," said Steward.

Broken Arrow firefighters were on the BA practice field Wednesday, learning from Steward and his team about how to treat injured athletes.

"This is just one way we can deepen our skills and communication," said Justin Cheatham with Broken Arrow Fire.

He says they have crews at every football game, so learning about new helmets and other football equipment helps them treat players if they get hurt.

"Every year, it seems like new technology comes out to help protect the athletes, and this is part of that," said Cheatham.

They're also getting a refresher on this CPR device called Lucas.

"It does CPR at a level that humans can't do; it's very efficient."

The goal of Wednesday's training is to bring firefighters and athletic trainers together so that when players face a scary situation, they can rest easy knowing a lot of preparation has gone into taking care of them.   

The sports medicine team has been approved to hire two more athletic trainers. that would mean 5 trainers on staff for BA sports.