Janet's Law Backers Buoyed by Assembly Panel Reception

Prospects for a state law requiring schools to have people and equipment ready to perform life-saving CPR or heart defibrillation may be brighter, after the Assembly Education Committee heard from the parents of Janet's Law namesake Janet Zilinski.

But it wasn't an emotional plea or tearful testimony that drew the sharpest responses—it was the cost of providing automatic external defibrillators and CPR training that surprised the panel of tight-fisted politicians: $1,300 each for the approximately 100 New Jersey schools currently without AEDs.

"You see, we're not asking for millions of dollars—we're asking for a few hundred thousand," Jim Zilinski, of Warren, said.

Zilinski's testimony followed statements by his wife, Karen, on the frequency of sudden cardiac arrest among children. While statistics are difficult to obtain—the deaths of children who die from SCA are usually lumped under the heading of "natural causes"—she and her husband have identified 32 cases in New Jersey since their daughter collapsed and died at cheerleading practice in 2006.

"Sadly, 27 lost their lives to cardiac arrest," she said.

However, 5 survived—largely due to prompt treatment with an AED, a small device capable of shocking a heart back into beating—but only if the heart has stopped (the devices can be used by untrained people because of built-in protections against misuse).

Through a vendor contract with the state, schools, municipalities and counties can purchase AED units for $829 each. Zilinski added $50 per person for CPR training (Janet's Law would require at least five school employees be trained), and about $200 for a mountable case and signs for the AED in his estimate.

He said surveys conducted by the foundation launched after Janet's death to raise money for placing AEDs at schools and playing fields, Janet's Fund, found 95 percent of New Jersey's public schools already have AEDs on hand. The fund works on raising money to provide the devices and training in places currently without them—they recently donated an AED to Hubbard Middle School in Plainfield and offered CPR classes to teens.

Zilinski also told the Assembly committee 22 states have passed similar legislation.

All of this seemed to impress the panel, and Education Commmittee Chairman Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) vowed to act on Janet's Law (Assembly bill A781).

Primary sponsor Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Somerset, Union) said several revisions to the bill are planned, but added he thinks the measure will gain traction this session.

"I've been doing this a long time, and when I'm about to cry, you know you're getting somewhere," he told the Zilinskis and a small group of supporters after the hearing. "You saw [the Assembly members'] faces—you don't see that."

The most emotional moment of the afternoon came when Will Gerhard, of Watchung, spoke about his experiences after suffering cardiac arrest while attending a New York Giants game in 2009. Although he had been a high school athlete with no apparent health issues, he said his life was saved after paramedics used an AED to shock his heart seven times.

His story was echoed by Monmouth Beach resident Jim Dolan, a supporter of Janet's Law, whose son Jimmy collapsed in January while shoveling snow. Dolan watched as a police officer arrived, jumped out of his car with the AED in hand, and resuscitated Jimmy. He added Jimmy's physicians have yet to determine the cause of Jimmy's cardiac arrest.

Also present to show support for the bill was Gail Driscoll, of the American Red Cross, which is a supporter of the bill.

The next step for the bill's supporters is to gain additional sponsors for Janet'sLaw. Currently, nine Assembly members and four senators have signed on to sponsor Janet's Law, but when the bill returns for a committee vote, Bramnick and other sponsors have committed to helping buttonhole other legislators to join the effort.