Oregon Legislature Considers Life-Saving Cardiac Emergency Bill
SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) — In a significant step towards enhancing student safety, the Oregon legislature is deliberating on House Bill 2529, aimed at ensuring schools are adequately prepared for cardiac emergencies. The bill calls for the establishment of comprehensive plans at schools to minimize fatalities from sudden cardiac arrests.
Advocates, including Kelly Driscoll, a mother who tragically lost her son Quinn in 2009 after he collapsed during a school track event, are pushing for this crucial legislation. Driscoll recounted how Quinn’s school had an automated external defibrillator (AED), but it was not available on-site in time to save him. “We found out after he died that the schools didn’t have AEDs, and they lacked protocols for retrieving them during medical emergencies,” she said.
Since then, Driscoll has been actively involved in initiating grants to equip schools with AEDs, including Evergreen High School, where an AED plan played a pivotal role in saving another student’s life. Four years after Quinn’s death, Heidi Stewart collapsed during a school event but was saved when the school nurse brought the AED within two minutes.
Currently, House Bill 2529 is under review by the Ways and Means Committee before being presented to the Oregon House and Senate for a vote. The bill holds the potential to implement life-saving measures in schools throughout the state, echoing a broader commitment to student health and safety.
The passage of this bill may mark a critical advancement in preventing unnecessary tragedies associated with cardiac emergencies in schools, fostering a safer environment for Oregon’s students.
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