PHOTO CAPTION: From Left to Right – Sen. Anthony Williams (D-8), Rachel Moyer (Greg Moyer Foundation), Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40), Spencer Stelljes and Abbie Moyer
PHILADELPHIA – Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) on Wednesday spoke at the Project ADAM 2023 National Meeting about the importance of having automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools and at interscholastic athletic events, including practices, should a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) event occur.
“We know that AEDs save lives and we have a responsibility when children are in the care of schools to be best prepared for the unexpected to protect them,” Brown said. “We also know that undiagnosed cardiac issues often occur during physical exertion, which is why we need to focus on sporting events to be effective.”
Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) is a non-profit national coordinating/foundational body that supports local affiliate programs to assist schools and communities in establishing a practiced plan to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The 2023 national meeting was hosted this year by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Youth Heart Watch program. Youth Heart Watch is an affiliate of Project ADAM.
A long-time advocate for accessible cardiac technology, Brown has introduced in the state Senate, Senate Bill 375, which contains the same language as Brown’s previously-introduced House Bill 834, requiring schools to have an AED present at all athletic and practice events, and a detailed emergency plan to be utilized in case of a sudden cardiac arrest event, to reduce the potential for a fatal cardiac episode.
SB 375, along with previous legislation Brown has championed on AEDs and CPR since 2012, was in response to the tragic passing of Greg Moyer of East Stroudsburg, who passed away at age fifteen of SCA during a high school basketball game in December 2000.
Brown has been working on versions of SB 375 since 2017, but during her time in the House of Representatives, she also sponsored multiple resolutions to bring awareness to SCA and AEDs, and legislation – now Act 35 of 2014 – that created a new AED program within the Pennsylvania Department of Education that assists school entities and nonpublic schools in making AEDs available in school buildings. Additionally, Act 35 requires the department to annually publish a report detailing the number of AEDs by school entity, the number of school buildings by school entity equipped with AEDs and the number of school buildings by school entity that are not equipped with AEDs.
“I refer to AEDs and CPR in our schools as health safety and ensuring we are ready for an unexpected sudden cardiac arrest,” Brown said. “Children, teachers, staff and visitors will all receive protection if the legislation is signed into law.”
For more state-related news and information, constituents can visit Brown’s website at https://senatorbrown40.com/ or follow her on Facebook @SenatorRosemaryBrown and Twitter @SenatorRBrown.
Contact: Christine Zubeck, czubeck@pasen.gov