Missouri Governor Signs New AED Legislation

Written by Becky Orfinger, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

July 18, 2001 —  Last fall, Congress passed the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, calling for the creation of guidelines to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all federal buildings to help protect millions of government workers from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). One of the leading killers of adults in this country, SCA strikes without warning, even among those with no history of heart problems. Now, almost a year later, Missouri Governor Bob Holden has signed similar legislation, initiated by the American Red Cross, which will promote the installation of AEDs in publicly accessible, state-owned buildings.

In April, the Red Cross presented an AED to the State Capitol Building. L to R: Matt Meyer, CEO, Greater Kansas City Chapter; State Rep. Carl Vogel; David Rice, Missouri State Service Council Chair; Mary Burton, executive director, Southeast Missouri Regional Chapter; Michael Farley, CEO, St. Louis Area Chapter.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can widen the survival window for an SCA victim, but a normal heart rhythm can be restored only by defibrillation. In contrast to a heart attack, in which blood flow to the heart is temporarily stopped, SCA occurs when a malfunction in the heart prevents it from pumping blood effectively. An AED reverses this situation by "shocking" the heart back to its natural rhythm.

After studying the language of the federal AED legislation, representatives from several Red Cross chapters throughout Missouri worked with the American Heart Association (AHA) to initiate similar legislation in their own state. In April, the state's 26 chapters presented an AED to the Missouri House of Representatives for the State Capitol Building, explaining the importance of using an AED in the case of SCA. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company funded the cost of the AED. "Thousands of people visit the Capitol every day," said Jim Braibish, a spokesperson for the St. Louis Area Chapter. "Having this AED in the Capitol gives legislators, their staffs and Capitol visitors the comfort of knowing that should an emergency arise, lifesaving care is close at hand."

This display, made up of over 1,000 red and white carnations, depicts the lives that could be saved each year if AEDs were widely available.

The new Missouri Senate Bill, signed into law by Gov. Holden on July 10, calls for the creation of an "AED Advisory Committee" to develop criteria on how and where these lifesaving devices should be placed throughout the state. The committee, which will also recommend the number of state workers that should be trained to use an AED, will include representatives from both the Red Cross and the AHA, said Braibish.

According to the Missouri AED legislation, the committee will meet several times over the next year and issue a final report to the Governor by December 31, 2002. Several privately owned buildings in Missouri have already installed AEDs, including the largest mall in St. Louis, where Braibish said an SCA victim was recently saved by the use of an AED.

For more information about First Aid, CPR and AED training courses offered by the American Red Cross, visit the Health and Safety section of redcross.org.