Bill Encouraging CPR Education in Schools Receives Senate and House Approval

AUGUSTA – A bill co-sponsored by Senator David Dutremble (D-Biddeford) that would require public schools to offer training to students on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use automated external defibrillators has received initial approval from the Maine House and Senate.

“Too often, a 9-1-1 call is made – as it should be – and while we respond right away, it is still too late,” said Senator Dutremble, who is an Emergency Medical Technician and a Lieutenant Firefighter with the Biddeford Fire Department. “If more people were proficient in life-saving techniques such as CPR this would happen less often.”

The American Heart Association recently released a study that shows that survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest vary, and that these rates are influenced by the willingness and ability of bystanders to perform CPR. Research indicates that for every 30 bystanders that perform CPR, one life is saved. But only 40 percent of bystanders actually do it.

“The bottom line here is that if more people know how to perform CPR, more lives will be saved,” said Senator Dutremble.

Senator Dutremble’s initial bill, LD 709, was merged with a similar bill sponsored by Representative Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth). Senator Dutremble and Representative Graham agreed to work together with the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs on a unified proposal, which is what received approval today.

The bill still faces a final vote for enactment.

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