Facility Emergencies and Lightning Policy

Directions to Field for Emergency Vehicles

Huns Rugby Field is located at 4107 Nixon Lane. Nixon Lane is two miles East of 183 on 969 in East Austin. Huns Rugby Field is at the Southern end of Nixon Lane. 

Roles

• Lead Injury Assessment- Licensed Athletic Trainer > Event Coordinator/Director > Huns RFC Representative

• Activate Emergency Response (911)- Huns RFC Representative > Event Coordinator/Director

• Meet EMS on Nixon Lane Outside Gate- Huns RFC Representative > Event Coordinator/Director

• Scene Control (limit area to first responders and move bystanders a safe distance away)- Event Coordinator/Director > Huns RFC Representative

Communication

Huns Rugby Field has full cellular reception. 

Contact Chris Hanson about any emergency plan enactment- fields@hunsrugby.com

Lightning or Other Weather Event

In the event of inclement weather and/or lightning, the guidelines below shall be followed during Austin Huns Rugby sanctioned events:

COACHES and PARENTS: If you, or your child, are set to participate in a training session (practice) or a game, please be mindful of the current weather conditions prior to your departure to the Austin Huns Rugby Complex. 

COACHES: If the fields are CLOSED, please take immediate action to notify all your players as soon as possible.

PARENTS: With regard to the often-unpredictable weather conditions in Central Texas, your safety ultimately lies with you. While the Austin Huns Rugby Board makes every attempt to ensure everyone plays in a safe environment there is no means pursuant to which safety can be maintained without everyone doing their part, including you. Your adherence to this policy is expected and is mandatory.

If the fields are CLOSED, please respect the decision that has been made in order to provide the safest environment for participants.

Although Board Members, Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Players and Parents may desire that training sessions or games continue without suspension or cancellation, the decision to stop such activities will be made only after a careful consideration of the latest available weather information and the best interest and safety of everyone involved.

If lightning is detected in the area, all activities will be suspended and are subject to cancellation.

Suspension/Cancellation of Activities

Outdoor activity may be suspended due to rain, sleet or snow at the discretion of the coaching staff and/or the Austin Huns Rugby Board of Directors. Typically, if precipitation is the only weather condition affecting play, training sessions and games will proceed as scheduled. Do not assume that if it is raining, games or training sessions will be canceled. If the precipitation is heavy and it is determined that damage to the fields may occur if activities proceed, the field may be closed and activities canceled.

With regard to LIGHTNING in the area, all outdoor activity must be suspended when lightning is six miles away or less (6 miles is the closest proximity permitted). All lightning should be monitored from the first flash of lightning or bang/clap/sound of thunder.

If lightning is 30 seconds away, it is too close. Clear the field and do not resume play until 30 minutes have elapsed from the time the last lightning flash is seen or the last bang/clap/sound of thunder is heard.

For evaluating whether to suspend activities, follow the 30-second "flash-to-bang" rule. The "flash-to-bang" method is the easiest and most convenient means for determining distance to the lightning flash, which is integral to assessing the need to postpone or suspend an activity:

1. To use the flash to bang method, time the interval between an observed lightning flash and the point at which the bang/clap/sound of thunder is heard. Count, use a watch, use the clock/timer on a smartphone, or use some other timing device and begin counting the seconds starting when a lightning flash is sighted and stopping when the associated bang is heard. The Smart Phone app LightningTrak (free) is a good app to approximate distance.

2. Divide the elapsed time by 5 to determine the distance to the lightning (in miles). Example a count of 30 seconds equates to 6 miles = too close.

3. If the time is less than 30 seconds, the potential for a lightning strike is too high and the lightning is too close. All activities should be suspended immediately.

In the event that play is suspended, all individuals (including athletes, coaches, referees, and spectators) should immediately go indoors or to their cars to wait for the storm to pass. If unable to reach safe shelter, stay away from the tallest trees or objects (such as light poles or flagpoles), metal objects (such as fences or bleachers), individual trees, standing pools of water, and open fields.

Resumption of Activities

Play shall not resume until 30 minutes have passed since the last flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

Taking Action

Coaches and/or Assistant Coaches are the individuals who will be most likely to be on the field with the players. As a result, the coaches are the first individuals needing to take action if lightning or thunder is observed. In a similar fashion, if a parent is present during a training session or game, and lightning or thunder is observed, the parent should notify a coach, assistant coach, field marshal, or board member immediately. Do not sit idly by while a training session takes place or a game proceeds if you see or hear thunder or lightning. The coaches, referees, field marshal and/or board members may be focused on their present task and may not observe the lightning or thunder as quickly as a spectator.

All persons at the Austin Huns Rugby Complex need to do their part to assure that the presence of lightning and/or thunder are brought to the attention of everyone else.

If lightning is seen during a training session or clinic, the coaches are responsible for taking appropriate action, which shall initially consist of immediately suspending the current activity. During training sessions or clinics, coaches will be responsible for making certain that none of their players are on the field if there is lightning within 6 miles of the Austin Huns Rugby Complex. The coaches shall then further direct all individuals in the area to clear the field and to seek shelter in a building or in a hard-topped vehicle. If lightning is seen during a game, the coaches, in concert with the referees, shall take similar action and immediately suspend the game activity and direct all individuals in the area to clear the field and to seek shelter in a building or in a hard-topped vehicle. Once suspended, most games (due to the short overall length) will not resume due to the requirement that Austin Huns Rugby will not permit the resumption of activities until 30 minutes have passed since the last flash of lightning or bang of thunder.

COACHES, PARENTS, and REFEREES: If you own a smartphone, Austin Huns Rugby highly recommends the use of a weather app (WeatherBug(with Spark Lightning detect), NOAA Weather, and The Weather Channel are some examples). There are many weather apps for smartphones. In instances of suspect weather, it is vital that a Coach or Assistant Coach monitor the weather, check for WATCHES or WARNINGS and be prepared to walk off the field in the case of lightning or thunder.