COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s the life saving device, no bigger than a lunch box, that’s making waves of change across the country and in the Buckeye State: automated external defibrillators, or AEDs.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s January cardiac arrest after a blunt force tackle on the field thrusted the AED and the education on how to use it into the spotlight.
Hamlin’s accident came concomitantly to the news that Ohio House Bill 462, which will mandate AEDs in schools, will be reintroduced during this legislative session.
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State Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) is leading the way for the bill in the statehouse.
“There’s broad interests across the state of Ohio for this, because people realize that sudden cardiac arrest is a killer,” Brown said.
HB 462 is an expansion of Lindsay’s Law, in effect since 2017, which requires players, parents and coaches of youth sports to be trained in sudden cardiac arrest techniques.
“It is something that can happen to anybody of any age, regardless of how great a physical shape you're in,” Brown said.
The new law would change the recommendation of AEDs in schools to a requirement, adding sports and recreation facilities to that list.
3News Investigates surveyed school districts across Northeast Ohio, questioning whether each of them have independent district policies in place for AEDs.
All districts that responded to 3News Investigates’ questions said it did have AED policies and AED units on campus.
Here are the districts that responded our requests:
- Avon Lake City Schools: 16 total AED units, 4 are in Avon Lake High School, 3 are located in St. Joseph Parish & School, 3 are located in Leawood Middle School, 1 unit is located in Troy Intermediate, Eastview, Erieview, Redwood and Westview Elementary Schools; Units are visually inspected weekly and physically texted every few months.
- Avon Local Schools: 23 total AED units; 9 are located in AHS and travelling athletics, 4 are in Avon Middle School, 3 are in Heritage Elementary, 1 in Avon East Elementary, 3 are in the Avon Early Elementary Learning Center, 2 are in the Board of Education building, 1 is in the bus garage; All units are checked monthly.
- Highland Local Schools: 26 total units; AEDs are in each school, at our sports fields, bus garage and athletic trainer’s cart; Units are checked monthly.
- Lakewood City Schools: 22 AED units total; At least 1 unit is in each of the district’s 12 buildings; United are checked once per quarter.
- Perry-Lake Schools: 11 total AED unites, 10 are designated for district buildings; 1 is designated for athletics, Units are checked monthly.
- Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools: A minimum of one AED per district building; Some districts have two; 1 AED for athletics and away games; Units are checked twice a year.
- Solon Schools: 24 total AED units, there is at least one unit is each of the district’s seven campus buildings, the Board of Education, the transportation and maintenance building and units are designated for athletic trainers; Units are checked monthly.
- Wadsworth Schools: 16 total AED units, there is at least one in each of it’s 9 buildings; Units are checked monthly.
- Westlake City Schools: 14 total AED units; 12 are in campus and administration buildings; 2 are assigned to athletics; Units are checked monthly
“What this bill does is actually focuses on the few that don't to make sure that they do,” Brown said.
According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, over 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest annually, with roughly 1,000 people a day.
Only one in 10 of them survive, according to the foundation.
That cause is the driving force behind what Brown says is a bipartisan, no-brainer law.
“It's a matter of life and death,” Brown said. “Even if it saves one or two children in a year, that's well worth the legislation for sure.”
The same bill was introduced last legislative session, but was short lived.
According to Brown, following the Hamlin accident, more lawmakers have showed support, increasing the likeliness of HB 462 becoming a state law.
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