Defibrillators Required at All Camps and Youth Groups

C.G. Hoffman

New legislation has been signed into law that will require all New York camps and youth sports programs to have Automated External Defibrillator (AED) plans and to have at least one person properly trained to use them at camps, games, and practices.

Damar Hamlin, a football player for the Buffalo Bills, became famous for collapsing mid-game after going into cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated on the field and eventually recovered after an extended hospital stay. He has been an advocate for the importance of CPR and AED’s since the event.

He said, “My journey has shown us that no one expects cardiac arrest to happen - and we all need to be prepared. By requiring that at least one person is trained to properly use an AED at every sports event, camp, and practice, this new law will help protect tens of thousands of kids in New York State.”

Dana Colasante and Alice Shoen, from Westchester, are family members of patients who experienced cardiac arrest at youth sporting events. Both survived, thanks to the ready availability of AED devices. The bill was sponsored by Senator Shelley Mayer of Westchester, with Colasante and Schoen advocating tirelessly for it.

According to the governor's office, camps, and youth sports programs with five or more teams participating are required to establish an AED implementation plan.