Governor DeWine Signs Bill Requiring AEDs in Ohio Schools

The new Ohio law is supported by the NFL.

(Columbus, Oh.) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 47 into law on Thursday.

The new law will require automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed in every public and chartered nonpublic school in Ohio.

“The evidence is clear: AEDs save lives,” said Governor DeWine. “While we know that sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of student-athletes in America, we also know the vast majority who get immediate help from an AED survive. The difference these devices make is astounding. Having them on standby in our schools to safeguard our students is a must.”

According to the CDC, more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States. An estimated 70 to 90 percent of these people die before reaching the hospital. However, the American Heart Association reports that nine out of 10 cardiac arrest victims will live if they receive a shock from an AED in the first minute after an incident.

The new law goes beyond placing AEDs in schools. It will require the Ohio Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan for the use of AEDs. All public and chartered nonpublic schools will be required to adopt their own emergency action plan and practice it at least quarterly.

Other aspects of the law include developing a system for violations to be reported if schools do not properly place AEDs in their facilities or fail to adopt and practice an emergency action plan; and requiring teachers, administrators, coaches, athletic trainers, and any other supervisors on how and when to use AEDs.