West Chester, Pa (August 13, 2024) – As students get ready to return to class this fall, state Senators Carolyn Comitta and John Kane are working to ensure that schools have additional tools to respond to life-threatening health emergencies.
Comitta and Kane secured state funding to acquire and install new automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in public school buildings in Chester County. The investment will help ensure that schools and teachers are prepared to respond to sudden cardiac arrest, a life-threatening emergency that occurs when one’s 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 tools and training,” Comitta, who serves on the Senate Education Committee, said. “As a former public school teacher, I know that families entrust our schools with the health and safety of their children each day. I hope this investment gives them added peace of mind while raising awareness of the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest.”
“As a father and husband with both my wife and daughter working as school teachers, the safety of our students hits very close to home for me,” said Senator John I. Kane. “Knowing that we are equipping our schools with AEDs and providing essential training to staff gives me so much peace of mind. This effort is not just about equipment; it’s about protecting our children and making sure every school can respond effectively in emergencies. I am honored to collaborate with Senator Comitta and key partners to enhance the safety of our schools.”
According to the American Heart Association, nearly 325,000 youth and adults experience a Sudden Cardiac Arrest each year. Between 2,000-9,000 of these arrests occur in kids and teens.
AEDs are devices that can be used to revive someone from sudden cardiac arrest by delivering an electrical shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm. The process is extremely time sensitive. According to the American Heart Association, 9 in 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute live and the probability of survival decreases for each minute the victim stays in cardiac arrest.
The $150,000 investment will put AEDs in each 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). The funding will also provide school staff with training and additional resources.
Comitta and Kane partnered with the CCIU, the United Way of Chester County, and Aidan’s Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to educate, support, and prepare communities in preventing and responding to sudden cardiac arrest, to implement the program, called “Aidan’s AED Action Plan.” The investment builds upon efforts initiated by state Senator Katie Muth to put new AEDs in public schools in her Senate district, including Owen J. Roberts, Phoenixville, Downingtown, Coatesville, Twin Valley, Octorara, and Great Valley. As a result, through the combined efforts of the three state Senators, every public school building in Chester County will have a new AED.
The foundation and the action plan are named for young Aidan Silva, a 7-year-old boy from Downingtown who tragically and without warning, lost his life to unexplained Sudden Cardiac Arrest on Labor Day Weekend 2010.
“Approximately 1 in 300 seemingly healthy youth is living with an undetected heart condition that can cause cardiac arrest. Therefore, it is imperative that schools have AEDs readily available, that staff are trained in CPR and AED use, and that there is a plan in place to respond to cardiac emergencies. Currently, the Pennsylvania Public 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 ensure the safety of our children and save young lives,” said Christy Marshall-Silva, President of Aidan’s Heart Foundation and Aidan’s mom. “We are grateful to Senator Comitta and Senator Kane for championing the collaboration between our foundation, the United Way of Chester County, CCIU and Senator Muth to make sure all Chester County public schools have access to this life-saving program.”
“I am deeply grateful to Senators Comitta and Kane for their support in securing the crucial grant funding that will allow 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 devices but also includes comprehensive training for our staff, ensuring they are prepared to respond effectively in times of crisis. By providing these essential resources, we are taking a proactive step towards safeguarding our school communities.”
“The United Way of Chester County is proud to collaborate with our state Senators, the CCIU and Aidan’s Heart Foundation to make our Chester County schools safer. We are grateful for the efforts of Christy Marshall-Silva and Aidan’s Heart Foundation for 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 screening 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 reasons the patient or family is aware of. Many heart conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest have no symptoms and cannot be detected with a stethoscope during a routine checkup.
In addition to installing AEDs in schools, youth-based organizations, and youth athletic leagues and training nearly 12,000 students, parents, and teachers in CPR and AED skills, Aidan’s Heart Foundation has provided free heart screenings to almost 2,200 young people in our area. For more information visit aidansheart.org
In addition, Comitta and Kane are also co-sponsors of Senator Muth’s Senate Bill 512 and Senate Bill 513, legislation that calls for school buildings in Pennsylvania to have at least one AED placed in a central, accessible location, and requires all coaches of athletic teams and supervisors of all afterschool activities become certified in CPR and the use of an AED.