By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com
Two injuries during the Lee County-Southern Lee football game on October 30, including one that left a player waiting nearly half an hour for an ambulance, prompted questions at Monday’s meeting of the Lee County Board of Commissioners.
One player was taken for medical attention by his parents after suffering an apparent broken collarbone. Another injury stopped play while those present waited for an EMS unit to arrive and provide care.
Local attorney Chris deLambert, who was at the game doing play-by-play commentary, told the commissioners on Monday that many present were surprised to find out there wasn’t an ambulance on site during the game.
“It was about 25 minutes between the time that player passed out and the time the ambulance was able to evacuate him,” deLambert said. “That is so far removed from how things should be. I can’t even tell you how angry I was in the moment.”
There’s no state law requiring an ambulance to be on site during high school football games, and deLambert acknowledged that the Board of Commissioners doesn’t oversee the local school board, which is responsible for school athletic events. Still, he said that as one of the school board’s funders, commissioners had some power to bring about change.
“As we get into next year’s budget, I would ask that you insist there be a line item and that you fund that very specifically,” he said. “A catastrophic injury is an inevitability in high school football, and 20 or 25 minutes could very well be the difference between life and death.”
While state law doesn’t require ambulances at high school football games, legislation passed in 2023 does require school districts to have emergency action plans addressing serious injuries, communication, available medical equipment and emergency transportation.
Lee County Schools Public Information Officer James Alverson said medical personnel were present at Friday’s game to provide immediate care. He also noted that ambulance dispatch and response times are managed by emergency services, not the school district.
“There were two separate injuries during Friday night’s game. The student-athlete who sustained a fractured clavicle was treated and transported by his parents. A second student-athlete sustained an unrelated injury that required EMS transportation,” he said. “During Friday night’s game, we had a licensed athletic trainer, four additional qualified athletic first responders, and Dr. Robert McConville, who has served as our football team physician for more than 30 years, on site. These individuals were available to provide immediate medical attention, and our medical personnel responded to the injured student while awaiting EMS.”
Lee County Board of Education Chair Sherry Womack couldn’t be reached for comment about whether that board has plans to address or discuss the issue.
In other action on Monday, the commissioners tabled a discussion on updating guidelines for use of the Lee County Main Library’s meeting rooms and approved the 2027 Schedules, Standards, and Rules for the upcoming revaluation of real and personal property.