Mass. Teachers May Soon Be Required To Know CPR

June 28, 2011 2:00 PM

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BOSTON (CBS) – Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering legislation that would require all teachers in Massachusetts be trained in CPR.

Joe Quigley of Winthrop, who’s 6-year-old daughter Olivia suffered sudden cardiac arrest at her East Boston school, says if the teacher hadn’t known CPR, his daughter would have died.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Doug Cope reports

“If the plan had not been in place, my daughter would not have survived,” Quigley told the Legislature’s Education Committee. “The teachers were able to recognize the event. They immediately started CPR on her.”

Quigley spoke in favor of a bill requiring all teachers in the state to be trained in CPR.

The American Heart Association says, every year about 7,000 children suffer sudden cardiac arrest, most often at school.

Joan Hogan

In Response To Requiring Teachers to Know CPR ,I believe It should be Mandatory. TooMany School Districts Have School Nurses Traveling everyday
To different School Sites. This Causes Depraved Indifference To The School Staff and Students. Boston Public Schools for example , as Big As it Is , does not have a school Nurse stationary at each school. Also when students attend Field trips an Incident could occur , and time Is Precious when this occurs.
ACB

I teach and coach in the private school sector, and we are recertified every year. It’s a no brainer that teachers should have the knowledge to be at least able to perform CPR as a first responder on the scene.
Poppy

Are the cash strapped towns going to pay for the inital teaching and certification? Followed by the annual recertification? Is the state going to pay for this requirement?
emom

Why isn’t it required that any and all teachers Going into the school system now should know CPR.. GOD forbid one of their kids had a problem and needed help and no one was there qualified to do CPR…. Yeah and it should be something they should pay for not the school,,, There are many that have to pay for this test.. Like nurses,,, not all get it paid by their employer.