RealColoradoLightningSafety
Guidelines Thepurposeofthisguidelineistominimizetheriskthatlightningandothersevereweatherposestoplayers,
staff,officials,andspectatorsatRealeventsbyimplementingaLightningSafetyGuideline.
ThefollowinghasbeendevelopedbasedonbestpracticerecommendationsfromtheNationalAthletic
Trainer’sAssociation,theNationalWeatherService,andChildren’sHospitalColorado.
GeneralGuidelinesforSevereWeather:
1) WeatherconditionsshallbemonitoredbytheheadcoachofeachteambeforeandduringallReal
eventsincludingtrainingsandgames,bothhomeandaway.Whenpossible,eventscheduleswillbe
alteredorpostponedinadvancetoavoidpredictedsevereweather.
2) EveryRealeventshallhaveadesignatedweatherwatcherandaclearchainofcommandtomonitor
andrespondtosevereweather.Thisweatherwatcherwillbedesignatedbytheheadcoachand/or
medicalstaff.Theauthoritytopostponeaneventduetosevereweatherwillrestwiththedesignated
weatherwatcheralone,andthisauthorityshallnotbechallenged.
3) Beawareoflocalconditionswhentraveling.Coachesandstaffshouldchecktheweatherreports
beforeandduringtraveldates.Duringawaymatchesandtournaments,donotassumethatthehost
willhaveaweatherwatcher,andbevigilantinmonitoringsignsindicatingsevereweatherislikely.
4) Anyonehastherighttoseekshelteratanytimewithoutpenaltyiffeelingunsafeduetosevere
weatherconditions.
5) Severeweatherincludeslightning,hail,tornadoes,hurricanes,andfloods.Conditionschangerapidly
asstormsdevelopandtheNationalWeatherServicemayissue“watches”and“warnings”whenlarge
ordangerousstormsarepredicted.
a. A“watch”meansconditionsarefavorableforsevereweathertodevelopinanarea.
b. A“warning”meansthatsevereweatherhasbeenobservedintheareaandeveryonemust
takeproperprecautions.Warningswillincludeinstructionsonhowtosheltersafely
dependingonthetypeofstormexpected.
6) Severeweathercanoccuratanytimeandthemajorityofstormswilldevelopwithoutawatchor
warningfromtheNationalWeatherService.DonotrelyontheNationalWeatherServiceorany
otherorganizationtomakenotificationswhensevereweatherisapproaching.Thereisnosubstitute
forpayingattentiontochangesintheenvironmentwhichindicatesevereweatherislikely.
LightningSafetyPlan
Lightningandsevereweathercanoccuratanytimeoftheyear;howeverthemonthsofAprilthroughOctober
producethehighestnumberoflightningstrikesalongtheColoradoFrontRange,Midwestplains,and
southernUnitedStates.Itisestimatedthat1in1,200peoplewillbeaffectedbyacloselightningstrike,and
thechancesincreaseifpropersafetyprotocolsarenotfollowed.
Lightningisapotentialdangertotheathleticpopulation,dueinparttotheprevalenceofthunderstormsin
theafternoontoearlyeveningduringthelatespringtoearlyfall,whenmanyathleticeventsoccur.Lightning
canstrikethegroundfromupto50milesawayfromanactivestorm,intheabsenceofrain,andevenwhenit
August 20, 2015 issnowing.Lightningstrikesoriginatingfromthestorm’speripheryarethestrongestandmostdangerous
andtheriskoflightningstrikingincreasesasastormmovescloser.
1) Beawareofcloselightning.TheweatherwatcherwillutilizeWeatherBug®Spark™,Stormby
WeatherUndergroundorequivalentresourceaswellasvisualmonitoringtodeterminethe
proximityoflightning.Thecalltosuspendactivityduetocloselightningwillbebasedonhowfast
thestormisapproachingandtheamountoftimeitwilltakeforeventparticipantstotake
appropriatesafeshelter.Ataminimum,bythetimethelightningstormhasreached6milesaway
fromthelocationoftheoutdooractivity,allindividualsshouldhavelefttheoutdoorathleticsiteand
reachedasafelocation.
2) “WhenThunderRoarsGoIndoors.!”Ifthunderisheard,lightningisassumedtobestrikingwithin
10miles.IfSpark™,Stormorequivalentlightningdetectiontechnologyisunavailable,eventsshall
besuspendedandeventparticipantsmustseekshelterimmediatelyifthunderisheardorlightning
isseen.
3) Severalenvironmentalfactorswillaffectwhetherthunderisheardornot.Estimatingthedistance
fromcloselightningusingtheflash‐to‐bangcountingmethodisnotreliableandshallnotbeusedto
assessthethreatofcloselightning.
4) Intheeventofcloselightning:Suspendtheeventimmediately.Notifyallplayers,staff,and
spectatorsthattheymustseekshelterinsideasafestructureorinacar.
a. Asafestructureisdefinedasafullyenclosed,substantialbuildingthatisgrounded.A
buildingisgroundedonlyifithasplumbingandelectricity.Locationssuchasashed,open
sidedpavilion,dugout,ortemporaryshelterarenotsafefromlightning.
b. Ifasubstantialbuildingisnotavailable,afullyenclosedvehiclewithametalroofandthe
windowscompletelyclosedisagoodalternative
5) Personnelshouldnotreturntotheeventuntilalleast30minuteshavepassedsincethelastclose
lightningflashorlastsoundofthunder.Eachtimelightningisobservedand/orthunderisheard,the
“30minuteclock”istobereset.
FirstAid
Peoplewhohavebeenstruckbylightningdonotcarryanelectricalchargeandaresafetobetouchedby
others.Therefore,cardiopulmonaryresuscitation(CPR)issafeforthefirstresponder.Ifpossible,aninjured
personshouldbemovedtoasaferlocationbeforestartingCPR.Lightning‐strikevictimswithsignsofcardiac
orrespiratoryarrestneedimmediateemergencyhelp.Activatethelocalemergencymanagementsystemand
utilizeanAEDifavailable.Prompt,effectiveCPRhasbeenhighlysuccessfulforthesurvivaloflightningstrike
victims.
August 20, 2015