First responders trained to properly care for high school football players injured on the field

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ( WBRC ) - With the 2025 high school football season well underway, work continues to keep the players safe.

If a school doesn’t have certified athletic trainers during high school football games, the responsibility falls on paramedics or other Emergency Medical Service providers to step in if someone gets hurt. That includes first responders who may not be familiar with using certain techniques if athletes are injured on the field.

Brad Myrick is the athletic trainer for the Gardendale High School Rockets.

He says it’s critical to protect a player’s neck and spine while removing their safety equipment to prevent further injury.

At a one-day course at the Alabama Fire College, he recently trained local fire fighters how to safely remove helmets and shoulder pads from