A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing John Fair as a cardiac
arrest survivor due to the Automatic Electronic Defibrillator (AED)
installed near his high school gymnasium in Speedway, Indiana and to
strongly encourage all schools throughout Indiana to consider the
benefits of use of Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs).
, read first time and referred to Committee on
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing John Fair as a
cardiac arrest survivor due to the Automatic Electronic Defibrillator
(AED) installed near his high school gymnasium in Speedway, Indiana
and to strongly encourage all schools throughout Indiana to consider
the benefits of use of Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs).
Whereas, On January 26, 2007 John Fair suffered
sudden cardiac arrest while coaching a girls' basketball
game at Speedway High School;
Whereas, Due to the forethought of then Speedway
Superintendent Andy Wagner and Assistant Superintendent
Kenneth Hull, an Automatic Electronic Defibrillator (AED),
a device that can restore a normal heartbeat in an individual
who has experienced sudden cardiac arrest, had been
installed at Speedway High School;
Whereas, John Fair, a husband and father of two, was
resuscitated by an athletic trainer and two off duty
firefighters. One of the firefighters credits the immediate use
of the AED for saving Mr. Fair's life saying CPR alone
would not have been sufficient;
Whereas, National initiatives are building momentum to further AED education and awareness. The American Red
Cross, a well respected organization with a strong public
safety reputation, recognizes the important life saving
benefits of AEDs on school property and promotes
installation of AEDs in high schools through its High School
AED project;
Whereas, Congress, understanding the importance of
being prepared in an emergency and recognizing that every
second is important to saving lives, has named the first week
of June each year as CPR/AED Awareness week;
Whereas, To educate the public and encourage further
use of AEDs the American Heart Association has published
an AED Implementation guide which details the four steps to
implement a successful and efficient AED program;
Whereas, Specifically targeted at schools, the Sudden
Cardiac Arrest Association has recently published a booklet
titled "Saving Lives in Schools and Sports" to encourage
school and athletic league administrators to install AEDs
and develop sudden cardiac arrest emergency plans; and
Whereas, By strongly encouraging Indiana schools to
consider the benefits of AEDs the potential for saving lives of
individuals suffering sudden cardiac arrest would
dramatically increase: Therefore,
SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly recognizes John
Fair as a cardiac arrest survivor. His experience has brought to light
the importance of AED access.
SECTION 2. That the Indiana General Assembly strongly
encourages all Indiana schools to consider the benefits of Automatic
Electronic Defibrillators.