Ocean City Schools Face Challenges of Meeting State AED Requirements

The Ocean City School District had some unique challenges meeting the Sept. 1, 2014 deadline to implement Janet’s Law, but the district feels it’s action plan more than meets state-mandated requirements, the Ocean City Gazette reports.

Janet’s Law, passed on Sept. 1, 2012 and implemented this year, is a state law that requires all public and private K-12 schools in the state to have an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

Janet’s Law is named after Janet Zilinski, an 11-year-old who died from sudden cardiac arrest following cheerleading practice in 2006.

The legislation requires five people in each building to be trained in the use of the AED. The AED must also be within “reasonable proximity” to any athletic events.

This is the portion causing problems for Ocean City, which has sports that are contested in the water, such as surfing and crew, according to the report. Cross country is also a sport in which compliance may prove difficult.

It’s also an expensive endeavor.

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