Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed legislation requiring automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed in all public and chartered nonpublic schools in Ohio, as well as sports and recreation facilities.
“The evidence is clear: AEDs save lives,” said Governor DeWine. “While we know that sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of student-athletes in America, we also know the vast majority who get immediate help from an AED survive. The difference these devices make is astounding. Having them on standby in our schools to safeguard our students is a must.”
In addition to requiring AEDs, the legislation also mandates that the Ohio Department of Health develop a model emergency action plan for the use of AEDs. All public and chartered nonpublic schools will be required to adopt their own emergency action plan and practice it at least quarterly. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce will develop a system for violations to be reported if schools do not properly place AEDs in their facilities or fail to adopt and practice an emergency action plan.
Part of the push for the legislation came from Canen Dickman, a sophomore at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Columbus. Dickman collapsed last summer during soccer practice; his coaches were able to perform CPR and use an AED from a nearby building, restoring his pulse before he was transported to the hospital. This experience spurred Dickman to begin advocating for legislation requiring AEDs in schools.
“We hope that the passing of this bill will help save lives, just as mine was saved, because if it weren’t for AEDs and CPR training in our school, I would not be here today,” Canen said.
The governor’s office cited statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which found that more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States. Tragically, an estimated 70-90 percent of these people die before reaching the hospital. However, the American Heart Association says that nine out of 10 cardiac arrest victims will live if they receive a shock from an AED in the first minute after an incident.
The bill also requires schools to train teachers, administrators, coaches, athletic trainers, and anyone else supervising student-athletes on how and when to use AEDs. The bill requires schools and youth sports organizations to hold informational meetings each sports season regarding the symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest for young athletes of all ages.
