The Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund Updates 1/14/08
--11/27/07 Meeting with the Public Health Committee at the Legislative Office Building, Hartford. It was agreed the CT Good Samaritan laws needed to be extended to include coverage for not only trained and untrained AED users but also for the site where an AED is located and for the physician/volunteer who oversees the AED program. This change would make it easier to place AEDs without fear of being sued. The Chairs of Public Health stated only they could write up the bill proposing changes; opposition is expected from trial lawyers.
--1/8/08 Email from Public Health Committee stating the Chairs of Public Health are working with the trial lawyers and the American Heart Association to reach an agreement which will allow a bill to move forward. There is presently no bill number to track the bill. Use www.cga.ct.gov to track the bill.
--Mid January '08. Made contact with the CAS/CIAC (Connecticut Association of Schools/Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference); forwarded a Norwich Free Academy student's letter to the CIAC to support placing AEDs on athletic fields. CIAC has already been investigating AEDs. Contacted the CT PTA and the CT Athletic Trainers Association; have asked all 3 groups to write letters to Public Health to support changes to Good Sam law.
--1/31/08 We will be attending the New England Community Strategies Council in Framingham, MA. I think it is an American Heart Association sanctioned meeting. Its goal is to double survival rate from out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in the next 24 months.
--2/1/08 Please have all signatures in support of AED legislation returned by this time. Signatures will be presented to the Public Health Committee.
--2/06/08 to 5/07/08 Hearing in Hartford on proposed Good Sam bill. We will be testifying; a local cardiologist has also offered to testify. The Public Health Committee suggested as many supporters as possible show up at the hearing to support the proposed changes; the legislators listen to numbers. Date of the hearing may be anytime between these dates. Date, time and location will be posted on this website.
--5/17/08 The Larry Pontbriant Memorial Run at NFA/Mohegan Park, Norwich, CT. See our website for details.
--Recent National News. 12/07 Sports Illustrated, January 2008 Ladies Home Journal, 1/10/08 National Public Radio, 12/07 CNN broadcast--all had news reports on sudden cardiac arrest/sudden death in young athletes.
--First Week of June declared National CPR/AED Awareness Week by passage of a new resolution in Congress.
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