State senator, former athletic trainer, wants to see AEDs in all Pennsylvania schools
Updated: 1:18 p.m. EDT March 18, 2023
Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one cause of death among student-athletes on school grounds, but automated external defibrillators are not yet required in all Pennsylvania schools. A state senator, who was once an athletic trainer, wants to change that. Democratic Senator Katie Muth, who represents parts of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties, introduced Senate Bills 512 and 513 this week. The bills would require schools and other places that host school functions to have at least an AED. The legislation would ensure schools have emergency response teams and sudden cardiac arrest response plans. It would also require all coaches in after-school programs to be certified in CPR. “Awareness of this issue has increased, as we saw in January when we saw Damar Hamlin on the pitch, and you saw this action plan,” Muth said. said at an event introducing the bills. “That emergency action plan that I practiced when I was an athletic trainer was happening live, in real life, and it’s alive today thanks to an AED.” Similar legislation was introduced at the State House by Rep. Ed Neilson (D) as HB 525 on Friday. In January, State Sen. Marty Flynn (D) said he planned to introduce similar legislation, called “Damar’s Law,” to require AEDs at school sporting events. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, more than 2,000 children die each year from sudden cardiac arrest in the United States.
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania —
Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one cause of death among student-athletes on school grounds, but automated external defibrillators are not yet required in all Pennsylvania schools.
A state senator, who was once an athletic trainer, wants to change that.
Democratic Senator Katie Muth, who represents parts of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties, introduced Senate Bills 512 and 513 this week. The bills would require schools and other places that host school functions to have at least an AED.
The legislation would ensure schools have emergency response teams and sudden cardiac arrest response plans. It would also require all coaches in after-school programs to be certified in CPR.
“Awareness around this issue has increased, as we saw in January when we saw Damar Hamlin on the pitch, and you saw this action plan,” Muth said at an event. introducing bills. “That emergency action plan I practiced when I was a sports coach was happening live, in real life, and it’s alive today thanks to an AED.”
Similar legislation was introduced at the State House by Rep. Ed Neilson (D) as HB 525 on Friday.
In January, State Sen. Marty Flynn (D) said he planned to introduce similar legislation, called “Damar’s Law,” to require AEDs at school sporting events.
According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, more than 2,000 children die each year from sudden cardiac arrest in the United States.
