Emily Martz and Alex Brummett, athletic trainers at Kettering Health Washington Township, were recognized with the American Heart Association Heartsaver Hero Award and honored at the Stebbins High School board meeting for their lifesaving efforts at a recent track practice.

As part of their role, our athletic trainers work at local schools to provide medical support to athletes. Their work focuses on preventing injuries before they play, as well as addressing problems on the field as they occur.

The latter was the case for Emily and Alex as they were working at a Stebbins High School track practice. A student had a medical emergency during the practice and the two immediately jumped into action, performing CPR and using the AED machine until the medics arrived.

Alex and Emily’s preparedness underscores the importance of having athletic trainers onsite during sporting events. Our athletic training staff gathers each summer to practice removing equipment such as football pads, different types of helmets, and other sporting equipment. They also review heat illness guidelines, wound management, and concussion care.

Our athletic trainers also create, review, implement, and rehearse emergency action plans with athletic directors, site coordinators, coaching staff, and local EMS so they are prepared for emergencies, like this recent one.

Thank you to Emily and Alex for not only working hard each day to prevent injuries and keep athletes in the game, but also being prepared to act quickly when life-threatening situations do arise!