According to the American Heart Association, each year more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the United States—with 7,000 of them being young people under the age of 18.
Because of this, Florida state Senator Jay Collins, R-Tampa, proposed legislation (SB 830) Thursday that aims to bring more life-saving policies to Florida K-12 schools.
“This bill takes a remarkable step forward in making sure that when we’re not there with our kids, we can rest assured that the training does happen," Collins explained to a Senate committee on Fiscal Policy.
SB 830 calls for all coaches in Florida to be CPR-certified. The bill also specifies coaches need to know how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). Sen. Collins said as a parent, these things are important.
“We have to make sure we have the time, tools, and training," he said.
Several American sporting leagues, including the National Football League, are joining the effort to promote first-aid training after Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills player, needed CPR and a defibrillator mid-game to save his life last season.
Tiffany McCaskill Henderson, who works with the American Heart Association, said that the incident gained national attention. She said it was time for Florida to get on board.
“The good news is he [Hamlin] survived because there were trained staff there," she said. That’s basically what we’re looking for in Florida schools. Just to ensure that staff is trained and have the resources they need, should that event arise.”
If SB 830 passes, schools will have to keep at least one AED on school grounds and available during every sporting event. While the state can only regulate public schools, charter, and private schools will be encouraged to do the same.
Sen. Collins said the Florida legislature is currently working on a plan to ensure each school in the state gets funding to purchase an AED.