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IOWA GRAVEL SERIES

Aid Station Volunteer Training

(Self-Paced)

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Instructions

This training is intended for participants who weren’t able to attend the Zoom training with the IGS meeting. The time to complete is approximately 15 minutes. In order to pass the training, you will need to take an assessment with a score of 80% or higher before the race date.

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Welcome!

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Our Mission

We use gravel roads to connect people in communities through fitness and adventure!

Endurance races in cycling/running

Held on open roads and trails

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Who’s Involved?

Aid Station Volunteers (that’s you!)
Sweeper Volunteers
Board Members
Photographers
Registration Assistants

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Aid Station Volunteer Responsibilities

Set up the aid station

Stock up supplies

Hand out refreshments and cheer racers on!

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Setting up

Arrive 45 min before race starts
Check in
Get your box of supplies
Travel to the mile marker
Set up the tent, table & supplies

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Stop and reflect before clicking the next slide.

Knowledge Check

How early should you arrive to the race?

20 min before the start of the race
45 min before the start of the race
30 min before the start of the race

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Option b) is correct.

Make sure to arrive 45 min before the start so you have time to check in and setup.

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Stop and reflect before clicking the next slide.

Knowledge Check

Once you get to the start line and check in, you should:

Grab the boxes of supplies and drive to the mile marker.
Wait for all the other volunteers to arrive and then retrieve items before going to the mile marker.
Head directly to the mile marker since all the supplies will be there.

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Option a) is correct.

Once you arrive, make sure to retrieve the supplies before heading to the mile marker. You also don’t need to wait on others. Get a head start so that the station is up on time.

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Attending the Station

Restock food & water
Offer racers refreshments

Refill their supplies
Provide info support

Now let’s move on to attending the aid station…

Once you set everything up, make sure that the table is always restocked.

“This is so that racers don’t have to wait too long to get anything. So if someone comes by for water and food, restock whatever is running low.

So once you see a racer approaching the aid station, go ahead and greet them kindly and offer them food, energy packs or water if they’re interested. You also want to know their physical status a bit so ask them how they’re feeling and if they feel comfortable continuing with the race. It's important to observe their physical presentations and offer them a cooling cloth or encourage them to take a break if they seem like they may need it.

�When refilling their water or providing them anything you don’t have to force them to get off their bike as not everyone wants to get off the saddle and could just pedal towards you, get what they need, and leave.

Also make sure that when you are refilling their water bottle, you should ask permission before you touch the cyclist or any of their belongings such as their bottle.

If they ask you questions make sure to answer them to the best of your abilities. Sometimes, racers may ask you if they can get in contact with someone they were racing with parted ways somewhere along the way. In that case, try to ask them what their friend looks like, their bib/race number, name and let the sweeper know if they have found a person of that description. It's important for you to ensure that you are supporting the safety of the race in this way.

If a racer comes up to you and tells you that they’d like to drop out of the race because they don’t feel too good or are just out of it, then make sure you are monitoring them and offering them enough water and food if they need it. Have them sit nearby the station and notify a board member if you have cell service that the person is dropping out. You can also have a sweeper pick up the person or have a volunteer drive the person back to the start line area.

Remember, if you are ever unsure of what to do at the station, always ask fellow volunteers, and work together. Being a volunteer is a collaborative effort!

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Taking Down Station

Sweeper/Board director notifies volunteer to take down station.
Box up all leftover nutrition and discard garbage
Pack up large items (canopy, umbrella, table, chairs) and place in vehicle.
Transport items to start line.
Return items to Chris or other board member.

Now let’s move onto taking down the aid station, which is a pretty simple task.

You will know when to take the aid station down and pack up when the sweeper drives by and signals for you to take it down or a race director notifies you through verbal confirmation to take it down. ��The actual time of taking down the aid station will vary by course and what mile marker your aid station is located. For example, volunteers supporting an aid station located on the course between mile marker 25 through 30 will begin taking down their aid station before volunteers supporting an aid station located at mile marker 40-45.

Once you have received a signal from the sweeper to begin taking down the aid station OR verbal confirmation from a board director, you will begin to box up all the leftover nutrition from the aid station table. This will include gathering unused items such as water, oranges, and bananas for transportation. You will also need to appropriately dispose of all trash including opened or used items and compost oranges and bananas.

Once you have appropriately boxed up nutrition table items and discarded trash and compost, you will begin to tear down the aid station canopy, umbrella, table, and chair(s). You will place these large items into your vehicle for transportation. ��Once your vehicle is loaded with all of the aid station items and the aid station is fully taken down, you may begin transportation. Unless otherwise directed by a board member on race day, you will be returning the items to the race start line. Please remember that the race is still ongoing, and therefore we recommend using alternative routes and roads so as to not impact the course and or riders. Upon arrival at the race start line, please look for and deliver all of the aid station materials to Chris.�

Once you have returned all materials, you will likely be officially relieved of your duties by a board director.

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Stop and reflect before clicking the next slide.

Knowledge Check

When a cyclist approaches the station, you should:

Quickly grab their water bottle and fill it so that they could continue the race.
Offer them food and offer to refill their bottle
Observe them and ask if they are physically comfortable continuing the race
Only option b and c
Only option a and c
All of the above

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Option d) is correct.

While attending the station, you should be observing the physical condition of a cyclist and inquire if they need rest. You should be offering them food and water rather than grabbing their bottles without them being okay with it. Remember to offer them choices and be respectful!

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Stop and reflect before clicking the next slide.

Knowledge Check

When do you begin taking down the aid station?

Once you have visual confirmation that the last cyclist of the race has passed by
When the sweeper drives by and signals to take it down or a board member notifies you.
When a cyclist notifies you that they are the last ones on the race.

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Option b) is correct.

Take the aid station down only once the sweeper/board member notifies you.

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Knowledge Check

Where do you take the aid station materials once you have packed them into your vehicle?

Reflect on your answer before proceeding to the next slide.

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You will transport materials to the start line or finish line.

You will be informed of exact location on race morning during check in. You will return the items to Chris or another board member.

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IOWA GRAVEL SERIES

Responding to Medical Problems

Training (Self-Paced)

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Guess the case severity!

1: I can take care of it myself.

2: I can take care of it, but I have to contact a board member.

3: I have to call 911, then call a board member.

Case 1: You see a rider fall off his bike nearby. You ask them if they’re okay. He says he’s fine, but his knee is scratched up and he’s bleeding from a cut.

Case 2: It’s been a hot and sunny day. A rider approaches you, looking very tired and unsteady. Her skin is red and her clothes are dry. You ask her if she's okay. She collapses and becomes unresponsive.

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Answers

Case 1: You see a rider fall off his bike nearby. You ask them if they’re okay. He says he’s fine, but his knee is scratched up and he’s bleeding from a cut. ANSWER: 1

Since the rider has a minor injury and does not want to drop out of the race, you can supply him with a medical kit and it is not necessary to report the incident to a board member.

Case 2: It’s been a hot and sunny day. A rider approaches you, looking very tired and unsteady. Her skin is red and her clothes are dry. You ask her if she's okay. She collapses and becomes unresponsive. ANSWER: 3

When a rider unresponsive, it’s important to immediately call medical services and inform a board member.

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Volunteer expectations

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What do you think are some common injuries or medical problems during races?

Come up with a few guesses before continuing to the next slide.

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Common injuries

Possible answers: cuts and scrapes, dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, jammed fingers, broken collar bone, broken wrist.

Can you sort these injuries into three groups? 1: I can take care of it myself. 2: I can take care of it, but I have to contact a board member. 3: I have to call 911, then call a board member.

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Answers

Group 1: cuts and scrapes, dehydration, jammed fingers

Group 2: broken bones, heat exhaustion

Group 3: heat stroke, non-responsive, person requests medical service

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What’s the difference between dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke?

Sort the list of symptoms on the right into the three categories. Symptoms may be used more than once.

Dehydration	Heat Exhaustion	Heat Stroke

(a) cool, moist, pale or flushed skin

(b) heavy sweating

(c) extreme thirst

(d) confusion

(e) vomiting

(f) hot, red skin which may be dry or moist

(g) weakness

(h) exhaustion

(i) changes in consciousness

(j) dizziness

(k) nausea

(l) headache

(m) high body temperature

(n) a dry mouth, lips and tongue

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Answers

*Symptoms may vary on a case by case basis.

Dehydration	Heat Exhaustion	Heat Stroke
(c) extreme thirst (d) confusion (h) exhaustion (j) dizziness (n) a dry mouth, lips and tongue.	(a) cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, (b) heavy sweating (g) weakness (h) exhaustion (j) dizziness (k) nausea (l) headache	(f) hot, red skin which may be dry or moist (i) changes in consciousness (e) vomiting (m) high body temperature

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What is the first step in responding to these injuries and conditions?

Think of a response to each before continuing to the next slide.

Cuts and scrapes
Dehydration
Heat exhaustion / heat stroke
Jammed fingers
Heat stroke
Broken collar bone
Broken wrist
Rider becomes unresponsive

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Answers

Cuts and scrapes: offer the rider the first aid kit
Dehydration: offer the rider a sports drink
Heat exhaustion / heat stroke: offer the rider a sports drinks and move them to a cool area in the shade
Jammed fingers: offer the rider the first aid kit or ice if available
Broken bones: move rider to a cool area, either sitting or lying down to immobilize the broken bone. Ask if they have an emergency contact to pick them up or if they need/want a ride to the finish line.
Rider becomes unresponsive: move rider to a cool area, call emergency services and a board member immediately

These are the appropriate actions to take for each injury or condition:

For cuts and scrapes you should offer the rider the first aid kit. If they ask for help, you can help them bandage the wound.
For dehydrated riders, you should offer them a sports drink or gel pack.
For a rider with suspected heat exhaustion or heat stroke, you should offer the rider a sports drinks or gel pack, then move them to a cool area in the shade. Monitor their condition.
For a rider with a jammed finger, you should offer the rider the first aid kit or ice if available.
For a rider with a broken bone, you should move rider to a cool area, either sitting or lying down to immobilize the broken bone. Ask if they have an emergency contact to pick them up or if they need/want a ride to the finish line.
If a rider becomes unresponsive, you should move the rider to a cool area, call emergency services and a board member immediately.

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First aid kit

Compress dressings
Adhesive bandages
Cloth tape
Antibiotic ointment
Antiseptic wipes
Aspirin
Cold compress
Gloves
Gauze roll bandage
Gauze pads
Tweezers

*Brand and contents vary

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Medical job aid

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Think: What should you do if the rider is injured, but it’s not life-threatening, and they insist on continuing?

Think about your answer before continuing to the next slide.

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Answer

Trust them and let them go.

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See you at the start line!