Fast-paced action is not only for the football field on Saturdaynight. The Red Cross spends the entire game giving first aid forailments ranging from blisters to seizures.

The Red Cross volunteer organization serves as the first aidcenter for all spectators that come to Saturday’s games.

At the Trauma and Cardiac room in the northeast end of thestadium, Chad Theunissen waited Saturday for an ambulance to arriveto take the fourth cardiac victim to the hospital Saturdaynight.

“Today has been a little less busy than last week, but we havebeen dealing with bigger stuff this week,” Theunissen said.

Theunissen is a Red Cross staff member. Because of protocol, astaff member must be present at the games, but most of the RedCross stations are manned by volunteers.

Theunissen and Larry Hoffstad are stationed in the Red CrossTrauma and Cardiac station.

Hoffstad is a volunteer and the major of all Red Cross stationsin the stadium. Below him are two captains on the east and westends of the stadium. Below the captains are the 11 first aidstation managers.

The Red Cross has 11 first aid stations in the stadium — two atthe Trauma and Cardiac room, and nine in the seating areas.

Protocol for the nine independent stations includes a stationmanager, an assistant manager, a doctor and a radio operator.

“This is one of the few places in the country that has this kindof network of first aid stations in the stadium. People will comein just to look at what we’ve got going on here because no one elseis doing what we’re doing,” Hoffstad said.

Hoffstad said many other universities have a couple of spotsaround their stadiums that transport fans out as needed. At thisstadium

they have their own radio network and “mini emergency room.”

Inside the cardiac and trauma room is a combination of doctors,nurses, Acadian Ambulances and first aid volunteers, as required byprotocol, Hoffstad said.

Apart from the Trauma and Cardiac station, each independentstation can administer first aid.

“Most of our first aid stuff is band aids, over the countermedicine

and splinting materials,” said Mike Nolan, manager of StationOne in the southwest area.

If Nolan or any of the other nine stations receives a case,they

treat it first.

“If it’s something that we can’t take care of, and we assessthat it’s

serious enough for medical attention, for a physician to assess,then

we go to trauma,” Nolan said.

Many patients serious enough to be sent to the trauma room mustbe carried by stretcher bearers. Stretcher bearers are volunteersfrom the Boy Scouts of America’s co-ed program, Venture Scouts,Theunissen said.

At the Arkansas State game this past Saturday, the TraumaCardiac room received at least four cardiac cases.

Cardiac cases are common, Hoffstad said. Older fans and fansfrom visiting teams have pressure put on an already existingcondition and have cardiac failure, he said.

To stay out of the first aid stations, Hoffstad and Theunissensaid fans should stay hydrated and be aware of theirsurroundings.

As for the volunteers, Theunissen is very impressed with theirdedication.

“Let me put it this way. For eight hours, our volunteers stay inthis room, listening to y’alls screaming outside and have no cluewhat is going on, and if that’s not dedication, I don’t know whatis,” Theunissen said.