Inspired by family’s tragedy, new law puts defibrillators in schools

June 18, 2009 Areawide Comments Off

The law requires that a school board have an AED in each school in its jurisdiction – if funding is available. It also allows school boards to accept gifts, donations and grants to pay for the equipment and training.

Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) will now be available in schools and at least two staff members will be trained to use the life-saving equipment, as a result of a new bill signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

The legislation, Senate Bill 981, was prompted by the 2007 death of 15-year-old Larry Pontbriant, a Norwich Free Academy athlete and honor student, who died after collapsing during an annual race.

There was no AED on site and he died a few days later in the hospital.

His parents, Evelyn and Larry Pontbriant, established a memorial fund shortly after his death to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and purchase AEDs for schools and athletic fields. [More information is available at their Web site: http://lpasf.org/ ]

“Beginning July 1, the law will help ensure that every school has an AED on site. They are proven life-saving devices but only if they are accessible,” Gov. Rell said during a bill-signing ceremony at Norwich Free Academy.

The law requires that a school board have an AED in each school in its jurisdiction – if funding is available.

It also allows school boards to accept gifts, donations and grants to pay for the equipment and training.

Gov. Rell also signed companion bill, Senate Bill 1089, which reduces liability issues for AED users.

According to the American Red Cross, 350,000 Americans suffer a sudden cardiac arrest each year. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if started promptly can help, but is not enough by itself to correct the problem. Defibrillation – an electric shock – is needed in more than two-thirds of all cardiac arrests to save the victim.

Posted June 18, 2009

New ‘Move Over’ law meant to protect emergency workers

June 18, 2009 Areawide Comments Off

ambulance-patch-htnp Sometimes emergency workers need to be protected from harm while they are doing their jobs, especially as they are loading accident victims into an ambulance, or when a police officer is approaching a vehicle.

Did you know that Connecticut has lost 14 state troopers to accidents in which they were struck and killed by a passing motorist? And many more have been injured.

Most of these accidents were caused by inattentive drivers.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today signed a bill that establishes a “move over” law in Connecticut that requires drivers to immediately slow down when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle and – whenever possible – to move over one lane to put extra space between their motor vehicle and the emergency vehicle.

“This is a common-sense law that offers an extra measure of security to the men and women who risk their lives to protect us,” Gov. Rell said in a prepared statement.

“More than 40 other states already have some form of a ‘move over’ law on the books,” she said. “We owe our first responders and other safety workers the margin of safety this law will provide.”

Under the law, motorists approaching an emergency vehicle that is stopped in the travel lane, breakdown lane or shoulder of a highway, they must immediately slow down to a reasonable speed below the posted limit.

If they are traveling in the lane adjacent to the emergency vehicle they must move over one lane unless it would be unreasonable or unsafe to do so.

For the law to apply, the emergency vehicle must have its flashing lights activated.

This law identifies emergency vehicles as ambulances or other emergency medical services vehicles; fire trucks and vehicles operated by firefighters responding to emergencies; police vehicles; maintenance vehicles; and licensed wreckers.

A violation of the law is considered an infraction – unless the violation results in the injury or death of an emergency vehicle operator (obviously a much more serious offense). The fine for failure to “move over” is $2,500. The fine for the death of an emergency vehicle operator begins at $10,000.

Posted June 18, 2009