
Empowering Florida Schools to Save Lives
We are thrilled to present Sen. Jay Collins and Rep. Brad Yeager with the 2024 Heart Champion Legislative Award for their outstanding efforts in sponsoring SB 830 and HB 865 during the 2024 Florida legislative session. This lifesaving legislation, which became law on July 1, 2024, ensures that athletic coaches in public schools receive ongoing training in CPR and AED use.
Building on this success, we are working diligently during the 2025 Florida legislative session to ensure schools have Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs), which establish specific steps to reduce deaths from cardiac arrest in school settings. The safety of students, school staff, and visitors can be enhanced with a coordinated, practiced response plan in which school CERP teams are trained and empowered to administer lifesaving care until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrive.
Each year, more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals in the U.S. Only an estimated 1 in 10 people survive those events, but survival more than doubles when people nearby take action by calling 911, performing Hands-Only CPR and calling for an automated external defibrillator (AED). Currently, only about 40% of cardiac arrest victims receive immediate help from lay rescuers before emergency responders arrive.
With approximately 49.5 million students, 3 million teachers, and numerous staff members in U.S. public schools from pre-K to grade 12, it is crucial for school facilities to have a plan to address cardiac arrest. A carefully orchestrated response to cardiac emergencies will reduce deaths in school settings and prevent chaos from leading to an improper response, or no response at all.
You’re the Cure advocates, along with lawmakers such as Sen. Collins and Rep. Yeager, are crucial in this advocacy effort. Their dedication and support help drive the legislative changes needed to make a difference and save lives.
In the photos below, Tiffany McCaskill Henderson, AHA Florida Government Relations Director, presents award to Rep. Yeager (left) and Sen. Collins (right).