On July 10, the American Heart Association (AHA), Greater Washington Region convened advocates at the DC Council to testify in support of the Cardiac Planning and Response “CPR” Act.
The legislation would ensure that all D.C. schools have a cardiac emergency response plan, so they are prepared to respond to a cardiac arrest in a school building or school-run athletic facility. The bill was introduced in November 2023 by Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie and eight other councilmembers. More than 10 states have already enacted similar policies, including Maryland.
Survivors and Women of Impact Delya Sommerville and Miss DC Jude Maboné, testified in support, along with Ken Edmonds from the NFL and representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Medical Society of DC, and current and former Greater Washington board members John Harrity and Dr. Federico Asch.
Sommerville’s survival can be attributed to being in the right place at the right time. In 2021, she was on an early morning run at the U.S. Capitol when she suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest. Luckily, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler saw her lying in the street and quickly called Capitol police who performed CPR and administered an AED to restart her heart. “There was a whole community of people who knew what to do and how to help just one person, me.” She explained. “In a cardiac arrest, every minute counts. The CPR Act will make sure all District schools are ready to respond if a student goes into cardiac arrest.”
Maboné also shared her story in front of the Council. “At 16 years old, I had my first heart attack during a summer cross country practice. My coaches did not understand the severity of what was happening, had no idea what to do and as a result, they left me to wait for emergency services alone.” She urges, “It is not enough to just teach a handful of people CPR and have an AED onsite. We have an opportunity here to empower coaches, school administrators, teachers and staff to step up and act with confidence when cardiac emergencies happen.”
Edmonds, vice president of public policy and government affairs of the NFL shared, “Adopting these policies is critical, especially given that sudden cardiac arrests are the leading cause of sudden death among young athletes. 4 in 10 sudden cardiac arrests among young people occur when they are engaged in physical activity.”
DC Public Schools have required AEDs in schools since 2016. However, without a response plan or appropriately located AEDs, this technology alone may not be enough.
Over 350,000 cardiac arrests occur annually in the US, with 23,000 of those happening to people under 18 years old; 40% of youth cardiac arrests are sports related. When someone suffers cardiac arrest, every second counts. A cardiac emergency response plan can increase survival rates from cardiac arrest by 50% or more with trained staff prepared to act.
If you are a DC resident, you can make your voice heard to DC Council for this lifesaving issue; take action today!