MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WBRC) – On Thursday, Governor Kay Ivey signed the John Wesley Foster Act, a law that requires public schools to have a Cardiovascular Emergency Preparedness Plan (CERP), according to the American Heart Association.
The plan instructs people to call 911 in the event of a cardiac emergency, begin CPR and use an AED on campus and at school-sponsored sporting events.
“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of Alabama students. This bill ensures that schools have the training and resources necessary to respond quickly and efficiently to a cardiac event,” said Republican Rep. Ed Oliver (Dadeville), who introduced the bill.
Oliver says the key to saving lives is giving schools and communities access to AEDs and ready staff when every second counts.
“The John Wesley Foster Act will further minimize risks to our students, but also make our communities safer and healthier for everyone,” Oliver adds.
The law is named after John Wesley Foster, a 9-year-old boy from Gadsden who died of cardiac arrest in November 2006.
“John Wesley was a devoted, loving child who loved sports, his family, and often helped others,” said Wesley’s mother, Heather Anderson. “As a nurse, I know how important it is for everyone to learn CPR. When someone goes into cardiac arrest, we all need to act quickly, call 911, and begin CPR before paramedics arrive.”
Anderson says she hopes this legislation will give schools the opportunity to save the lives of students, parents, teachers and other schoolgoers.
According to the AHA, more than 356,000 people in the United States experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. Currently, only 10% of these people survive, most likely because people were nearby ready to intervene.
Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation can double or even triple a person’s chances of survival.
It is estimated that approximately 23,000 children under the age of 18 suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the United States. 40% of these incidents are related to sports.
According to the AHA, about 70% of children in schools with AEDs survive cardiac arrest—seven times the overall survival rate for children.
The American Heart Association and its You are the healing Advocates worked with coalition members and other organizations across Alabama to advance this policy, which aims to increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
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