[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E572-E573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF THE ROBINSON SECONDARY SCHOOL'S DECA CHAPTER AND THEIR 
   EFFORTS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF AUTOMATED 
                    EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLA- TORS (AED)

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 13, 2000

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to 
rise and pay tribute to the members of the Distributive Education Clubs 
of America (DECA) Chapter at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, 
Virginia. The three hundred forty-one members of the Robinson DECA 
chapter have launched a dual campaign to not only educate the public 
about the benefits of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED), but to 
also increase support in Congress for the lifesaving bill H.R. 2498, 
the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act.
  Robinson's DECA Chapter recognized that a group of potential sudden 
cardiac arrest victims have been ignored by the public: teenagers. 
These energetic members sought to rectify this situation by initiating 
a public relations campaign to raise general awareness about the 
benefits of AED's and to outfit high schools with these valuable 
devices. In a school as large as Robinson Secondary School, with 5,000 
teachers, students, administrators, and community members, the need for 
an AED is particularly evident. In order to acquire the first student-
purchased AED in the country, Robinson DECA held the Heart Start 
Shopping Night and raised the needed $3,500.
  In working with the American Heart Association and a professional 
adult advisor committee, Robinson DECA realized that not every state 
currently has legislation to provide Good Samaritan protection for 
operators of the AED. This motivated DECA to work in support of the 
passage of H.R. 2495, the Cardiac Survival Act. This important piece of 
legislation, of

[[Page E573]]

which I am proud to be a co-sponsor of, would remove some of the 
barriers concerning the placement of AED's in public places by 
extending the Good Samaritan protection to AED users. Their lobbying 
efforts included developing a slogan and logo, researching H.R. 2495 in 
order to write a research paper, personally lobbying all 435 House of 
Representative members and staff, staging a rally on the steps of the 
United States Capitol, holding a press conference, and designating and 
operating an internet home page.
  As all members of Congress surely know by now, once Robinson DECA 
rallies in support of a cause, they will not rest until the job is 
done. This was evident with their successful work towards the signing 
of the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act and in their efforts to 
promote organ and tissue donation among our young people in America. 
Their current campaign for H.R. 2495 is traveling down that same road 
to success. Their dedicated, hard work has led to a substantial 
increase in co-sponsors and wide-spread support for the bill in the 
House of Representatives. Furthermore, their public educational 
campaign has enlightened the public about AED's and implementing them 
to save someone in cardiac arrest.
  Mr. Speaker, everyday 1,000 Americans suffer from sudden cardiac 
arrest, usually outside of a hospital setting. Unfortunately, more than 
95 percent of the victims die because life-saving equipment is not 
readily available or arrives too late. Therefore, the work of 
Robinson's DECA chapter is vitally needed, and I applauded their 
enthusiasm and dedication in helping others understand the great need 
for AED's.

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