Governor Shumlin to sign CPR In Schools bill at Williston Central School

Students at Williston Central School will get a firsthand look at lawmaking when Governor Shumlin signs a life-saving bill into law at their school on Wednesday, May 23, at 1:30 pm.
For eighth grader Tommy Watson, it means the accomplishment of the second goal he set after watching a man collapse with sudden cardiac arrest in the fall. After meeting his first goal of training 100 people in CPR in February, Tommy set a goal of seeing S.245, the CPR in Schools bill, become law before he graduated from eighth grade. S.245 will provide every Vermont high school student with an opportunity to learn CPR. More than 383,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year, and only 11 percent survive. Since knowing CPR doubles or triples the chances of survival for victims of sudden cardiac arrest, training Vermontâ s students in CPR should change that statistic.
Tommy will train the governor in Hands-Only CPR just before the governor signs the bill.
He will also present the Governor with CPR training kits from the AHA for the Department of Educationâ s School Resource Center.
WHEN: Wednesday May 23, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Williston Central School, 195 Central School Drive,Williston
Speakers at the press conference will include:
· Gov. Peter Shumlin
· Tommy Watson, 8th grader who has trained nearly 300 people in CPR
· Williston PrincipalJackie Parks
· Dr. Marc Kutler, emergency room physician at Northwestern Medical Center
· Bill sponsors Senator Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden County & Senator Kevin Mullins,
R-Rutland County
· Erin Ingebretsen of Bennington Rescue Squad
· Michelle Johnston ‘sudden cardiac arrest survivor, Shelburne, VT
· Tina Zuk, Government Relations Director, American Heart Association VT
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke ‘Americaâ s No. 1 and No. 3killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nationâ s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.