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Committee hears experts urging expanded AEDs and training in state buildings
Summary
Health and education officials, the American Heart Association and AED trainers told the House Committee on Labor that expanding AED access and training in state-owned buildings would save lives; the committee recommended passage of SCR 87.
The House Committee on Labor heard testimony in support of SCR 87, a resolution encouraging expanded access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and training in state-owned buildings.
Keith Hayashi (Hawaii State Department of Education), John Lewin, Kenneth Fink and Garrett Hall (State EMS) all stood on written testimony in support. Lauren Simpson Gomez, government relations director for the American Heart Association, said expanding AED access in state buildings and strengthening training programs "will save lives, improve community health outcomes, and demonstrate Hawaii's commitment to public safety."
Pamela Foster, a registered nurse and owner of the AED Institute, told the committee she has worked for 22 years to deploy AEDs across Hawaii and said maintenance and funding shortfalls are a problem. Foster noted the airport has a "seven to eight times survival rate" compared with community settings and stated, "Every minute without one, 10% less chance of survival." She urged attention to maintenance schedules and clear budgets for AED upkeep.
Witnesses recommended education and training be part of any expansion so that more people are prepared to use AEDs when needed. The committee’s recommendation to pass SCR 87 was adopted during decision-making; the transcript records the adoption but does not include a full roll-call tally for the measure.
