House Bill 5114 Passes Illinois General Assembly

"All students enrolled in grades 6 through 8 in the public schools
shall watch a training video on cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to
use an automated external defibrillator (AED). The training video would be
provided to schools at no cost, and the requirement does not apply if the
school district is charged a fee for the video."

Dr. George Chiampas from the CCARES Foundation, Representative Daniel J. Burke, and myself from The Colleen O'Sullivan Law collaborated in an effort to educate all children in 6-8th grade about the importance of CPR/AED training. Our hard work paid off, and lays the groundwork for future legislation in Illinois and across America for future heartsavers, our children!

Colleen, a Tinley Park native, was a healthcare attorney, who died of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while working out in a health club. No CPR was performed, nor was an AED present. Dr. George Chiampas is an ER/Sports Physician from Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He also heads the CCARES Foundation (Chicago Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Education Service) www.ccaresfoundation.org and has a similar story to mine, with a close relative of his.  Rep. Daniel J. Burke is a senior statesman in the Illinois House of Representatives, and has worked on legislation regarding AEDs since reading an article about it 15 years ago.  We met by chance, and now our partnership has become a credible and respected force in the healthcare community.

House Bill 5114 is not an unfunded mandate, it is cost neutral, and the concept is extremely simple:

All we ask is for 7 minutes of time during a 3 year period in a
childs education, in middle school. The studies have shown that not only will
they be more likley to use this skill, but that the competency is there as well
through video training. Would it benefit to have a hands on training?  Absolutely! But the reality is we need to "train" as many people as possible, to change any outcomes.

We worked extremely hard in the making of this legislation, and who would have thought that we would have gotten 53 Illinois State Senators to agree with us... Unanimously!

In politics, especially in Illinois, sometimes people try to make things harder than they really are, create problems where there are none, or thrive on "stirring the pot". I think we all know people like that!  The facts speak for themselves, and I know that any first responder would agree with me.

Finally, I wouldn't be paying my civic rent if I didn't thank the following individuals/groups for all their help:

I would like to acknowledge the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), Chicago Police Department (CPD), Dept of Health and Human Services, American Red Cross (ARC), American Heart Association (AHA), Alderman Lane, Alderman Laurino as well as the Chicago Medical Society, all of which have been working hard in disseminating this message. We have all partnered on this issue and this is why a change in Illinois has occurred.

I couldn't be more happy, and more proud of what was accomplished. And to think it all started right here, in our Village....Orland Park!