03/14/2005 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

          SB 4-REQUIRE CPR FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON announced SB 4 to be up for consideration.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:36:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRIAN  WEBB, fire-fighter  paramedic, Anchorage,  testified there                                                               
were many instances,  such as the one related by  Mr. Kalinka, in                                                               
which Alaskan's have died for  want of rapid medical response and                                                               
the knowledge  of how  to save themselves.  There are  many long-                                                               
term  benefits of  the  bill such  as  increasing the  longevity,                                                               
survivorship  and volunteer  spirit  of  Alaska's residents.  The                                                               
cost of  training in cities would  be low and many  materials are                                                               
already   available  in   many  school   districts.  Many   rural                                                               
communities   have  volunteer   response   services  that   could                                                               
administer CPR and first aid training. He supported SB 4.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
JOE MATHIS,  CEO American Red  Cross, State of  Alaska, supported                                                               
SB 4.  He said passing SB  4 would make Alaska  a better-prepared                                                               
state.  It would  give high-school  students valuable  job skills                                                               
since  preparedness   for  emergencies   is  important   in  many                                                               
occupations. He respectfully requested  the bill include language                                                               
that requires  the high  standards of the  American Red  Cross or                                                               
its equivalent.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
The State of Alabama requires  CPR training for all its students.                                                               
Louisiana,  North   Carolina,  and  Rhode  Island   require  both                                                               
American Red  Cross CPR and  first aid for their  students. There                                                               
are  668   Red  Cross  instructors   in  the  State   of  Alaska,                                                               
approximately  200  of  which  live  in  approximately  50  rural                                                               
communities.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:44:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON  asked Mr.  Mathis how he  expected schools  in the                                                               
Norton Sound Peninsula to train students.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. MATHIS  said volunteers  living in  hub communities  and also                                                               
through  local  search  and   rescue  organizations  could  train                                                               
students  in rural  areas. The  Red Cross  also offers  distance-                                                               
learning  courses, which  could  be administered  to students  in                                                               
rural areas.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON  asked whether the  Red Cross would  administer the                                                               
programs.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MATHIS responded  they would  only participate  if asked  to                                                               
participate.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  asked whether the aforementioned  states that have                                                               
a CPR requirement make it a requirement for graduation.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. MATHIS did not know.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  asked how  CPR training  could be  administered to                                                               
children who are schooled at home.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MATHIS   had  not  considered   that.  He  would   like  the                                                               
Legislature to  consult the Red Cross  before passing legislation                                                               
involving the standards of CPR and first aid training.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN and SENATOR KOOKESH arrived at 1:47:06 PM.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JENNIFER  APP, American  Heart  Association, said  cardiovascular                                                               
disease and  stroke are the  number one and number  three killers                                                               
in the  United States respectively.  One in twenty  Americans die                                                               
of  cardiovascular  diseases  each year.  Sudden  cardiac  arrest                                                               
claims   the  lives   of   220,000   annually.  Survivorship   of                                                               
cardiovascular  disease is  increased  when  victims are  treated                                                               
with CPR.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:49:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RUTH KELLER, staff for Senator  Cowdery, remarked with respect to                                                               
Senator  Elton's  earlier  question about  home-school  training,                                                               
there  are several  correspondence  charter schools  such as  the                                                               
Alyeska  School  that require  first  aid  in their  curriculums.                                                               
First aid programs are done through video teleconferencing.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
UWE  KALINKA  informed his  son  was  involved in  an  automobile                                                               
accident  in which  an entire  half hour  elapsed before  medical                                                               
response. The  various harms associated with  slow response times                                                               
could be partially alleviated by passage of SB 4.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON held SB 4 in committee.