WEST CHESTER – As students prepare to return to school in the fall, State Senators Carolyn Comitta and John Kane are working to provide schools with additional resources to respond to life-threatening health emergencies.
Comitta and Kane secured state funding to purchase and install new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public school buildings in Chester County. The investment will help ensure schools and teachers are prepared for sudden cardiac arrest, a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating.
“Our young people are invaluable and protecting them is a team effort. I am proud to work with Senator Kane, the Chester County Intermediate Unit, the United Way of Chester County and Aidan’s Heart Foundation to ensure our schools have access to life-saving resources and training,” said Comitta, who sits on the Senate Education Committee. “As a former public school teacher, I know that families trust our schools with the health and safety of their children every day. I hope this investment will give them more peace of mind while raising awareness about the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest.”
“As a father and husband whose wife and daughter are both teachers, the safety of our students is of utmost importance to me,” said Senator John I. Kane. “Knowing that we are equipping our schools with defibrillators and providing important training to staff is very reassuring. This effort is not just about the equipment; it is about protecting our children and ensuring that every school can respond effectively in the event of an emergency. I am honored to work with Senator Comitta and key partners to improve the safety of our schools.”
According to the American Heart Association, nearly 325,000 adolescents and adults experience sudden cardiac arrest each year. Between 2,000 and 9,000 of these cardiac arrests occur in children and adolescents.
AEDs are devices that can be used to revive a patient after a sudden cardiac arrest. They deliver an electrical shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm. The procedure is extremely time-critical. According to the American Heart Association, 9 out of 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute survive, and the likelihood of survival decreases with each minute the victim remains in cardiac arrest.
The $150,000 investment will equip every school building in the Avon Grove, Kennett Consolidated, Oxford Area, Tredyffrin/Easttown, Unionville-Chadds Ford and West Chester Area school districts, as well as the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) with defibrillators (AEDs). The funding will also provide training and additional resources for school staff.
Comitta and Kane have partnered with CCIU, the United Way of Chester County and Aidan’s Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization that educates, supports and prepares communities to prevent and respond to sudden cardiac arrest, to implement the Aidan’s AED Action Plan program. The investment builds on Senator Katie Muth’s efforts to equip the public schools in her Senate district, including Owen J. Roberts, Phoenixville, Downingtown, Coatesville, Twin Valley, Octorara and Great Valley, with new AEDs. Thanks to the combined efforts of the three Senators, every public school building in Chester County will have a new AED.
The Foundation and Action Plan are named after young Aidan Silva, a seven-year-old boy from Downingtown who tragically died without warning from an unexplained sudden cardiac arrest on Labor Day weekend 2010.
“Approximately 1 in 300 apparently healthy youth is living with an undiagnosed heart condition that can cause cardiac arrest, so it is imperative that schools have AEDs on hand, that staff are trained in CPR and AED use, and that a plan is in place to deal with cardiac emergencies. Currently, Pennsylvania school code does not require schools to have AEDs, and teachers and coaches are not required to be trained in CPR. This program will help keep our children safe and save young lives,” said Christy Marshall-Silva, President of Aidan’s Heart Foundation and Aidan’s mother. “We are grateful to Senator Comitta and Senator Kane for advocating for the collaboration between our foundation, the United Way of Chester County, CCIU, and Senator Muth to ensure all public schools in Chester County have access to this life-saving program.”
“I am deeply grateful to Senators Comitta and Kane for their support in securing the critical grants that will enable us to install approximately 76 new AEDs in school districts across Chester County,” said Dr. George F. Fiore, CCIU Executive Director. “This investment not only equips our schools with critical equipment, but also includes extensive training of our staff to ensure they can respond effectively in times of crisis. By providing these important resources, we are taking a proactive step to protect our school communities.”
“The United Way of Chester County is proud to partner with our State Senators, CCIU and Aidan’s Heart Foundation to make our Chester County schools safer. We are grateful for the efforts of Christy Marshall-Silva and the Aidan’s Heart Foundation and their tireless work to shine a spotlight on this important issue,” said Chris Saello, President and CEO of the United Way of Chester County.
In addition, Comitta and Kane also reminded student-athletes and their families of the importance of getting screened for sudden cardiac arrest, the leading cause of death in young athletes. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to seemingly healthy young people, with no obvious injury or medical cause known to the patient or family. Many heart conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest are asymptomatic and cannot be detected during a routine exam with a stethoscope.
In addition to installing defibrillators in schools, youth organizations and youth sports leagues and training nearly 12,000 students, parents and teachers in CPR and defibrillator skills, Aidan’s Heart Foundation has provided free heart screenings to nearly 2,200 young people in our area. For more information, visit aidansheart.org
In addition, Comitta and Kane are co-sponsors of Senator Muth’s bills 512 and 513. These bills require that Pennsylvania school buildings have at least one AED in a central, easily accessible location and require all coaches of sports teams and supervisors of all extracurricular activities to practice CPR and use an AED.
Originally published:
