Bill Text: GA SR590 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Georgia Senate Resolution 590 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Georgia Dept. of Education; urged to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes in the public schools

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-02-28 - Senate Passed/Adopted [SR590 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-SR590-Enrolled.html

1112 LC 33 4517S (SCS)

Senate Resolution 590

By: Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Unterman of the 45th, Grant of the 25th and Albers of the 56th

ADOPTED SENATE

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Georgia Department of Education to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes and the implementation of automated external defibrillators in the public schools of this state; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, as early as 1740, the Paris Academy of Sciences officially recommended mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for drowning victims; and

WHEREAS, in 1891, Dr. Friedrich Maass performed the first unequivocally documented chest compression in humans, and, in 1903, Dr. George Crile reported the first successful use of external chest compressions in human resuscitation; and

WHEREAS, in 1957, the United States military adopted the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation method to revive unresponsive victims; and

WHEREAS, in 1960, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was developed, and the American Heart Association started a program to acquaint physicians with closed-chest cardiac resuscitation and became the forerunner of CPR training for the general public; and

WHEREAS, emergency medical services personnel treat about 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the United States, and less than 8 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive; and

WHEREAS, sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, and many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors; and

WHEREAS, about 5,900 children 18 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes, including trauma, cardiovascular causes, and sudden infant death syndrome; and

WHEREAS, the incidence of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes ranges from .28 to 1 death per 100,000 high school athletes annually in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the American Heart Association does not have a minimum age requirement for people to learn CPR since the ability to perform CPR is based more on body strength rather than age; and

WHEREAS, studies have shown that children as young as nine years old can learn and retain CPR skills; and

WHEREAS, effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim's chance of survival.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the Georgia Department of Education to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes and the implementation of automated external defibrillators in the public schools of this state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to send a copy of this resolution to the Georgia Department of Education.