DAN Emergency Action Plan Template

DAN's three-part framework

• EMS activation -- a written list of nearby hospitals, clinics, and rescue providers with phone numbers, plus hard-copy directions to the nearest hospital; call local emergency personnel first
• Emergency equipment location and readiness -- a stocked first aid kit with unexpired supplies, and enough emergency oxygen to treat at least one injured diver until medical personnel arrive
• Medical information sharing -- divers tell their buddy and dive staff about relevant allergies or medical conditions before the dive; DAN's own suggestion for anyone uncomfortable saying it out loud is to write it down, seal it in an envelope, and tell your buddy where it is

Assign roles before you need them

DAN's guidance also covers the first sixty seconds of a real incident: someone calling EMS while someone else provides care, someone retrieving the O2 and first aid kit, someone managing bystanders, and someone accounting for the rest of the group. Deciding who does what after something happens costs time you don't have -- assign it in the plan itself.

Document the dive details as they happen too: depth, bottom time, and time of symptom onset are exactly what a physician or DAN's medical line will ask for first.

Keep it current, not just written

DAN recommends reviewing the plan every few months, because facilities close, EMS details change, first aid supplies expire, and dive buddies come and go. A plan that was accurate two years ago and hasn't been touched since is a liability dressed up as preparation.