GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — A small device is helping athletic trainers across Nebraska protect student athletes from dangerous heat conditions. It gives schools clear guidelines on when to modify or cancel outdoor activities.
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"This takes all the guess work out of it," said John Carda, head athletic trainer at Gretna East High School.
The small orange instrument measures wet bulb globe temperature, which accounts for how temperature, humidity, and wind speed actually feel to our bodies.
"It takes all that data that it's collecting from here (gestures to air) and turns it into a temperature number," Carda said.
The device provides color-coded warnings that help schools make safety decisions for outdoor practices and games.
"When you get to the red and black — those are big flags for everybody that would be practicing outside," said Carda.
Matt Fritsche, activities director at Gretna East, appreciates the clarity.
"Yeah, it does give us some peace of mind. It's nice to have black and white expectations. It's been really awesome. Here at East our coaches have embraced it and have handled everything that Mr. Carda's thrown at them," Fritsche said.
The Nebraska School Activities Association purchased these meters for all Nebraska high schools in 2022, a year after an Omaha South football player died on the first day of practice.
On Monday, the fields were empty and student athletes were indoors due to the heat. Fritsche says that today's students are more aware of safety concerns.
"I think everything in athletics has gotten better from athlete safety to strength training and conditioning ... So, yeah I think they are more aware then I probably was," he said.
Sports camps are currently underway at Gretna East, with football practice scheduled to begin on August 11.
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