71st OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2001 Regular Session
 
 
                            Enrolled
 
                   Senate Joint Resolution 32
 
Sponsored by Senator NELSON; Senators BROWN, DERFLER (at the
  request of American Red Cross and American Heart Association)
 
 
  Whereas sudden cardiac arrest strikes more than 250,000
Americans each year; and
  Whereas the primary cause of sudden cardiac arrest is
ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening condition in which
the heart's normal electrical signals become erratic, causing the
heart to cease pumping blood effectively; and
  Whereas an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest
becomes unresponsive, stops breathing, has no detectable pulse
and, without intervention, may die within minutes; and
  Whereas defibrillation, or restoring the heart's natural rhythm
by applying an electrical shock, is the only effective treatment
for cardiac arrest; and
  Whereas cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early
defibrillation are the most critical factors in determining
survival from sudden cardiac arrest; and
  Whereas the chance of survival decreases by approximately 10
percent with each minute that passes after the time of sudden
cardiac arrest; and
  Whereas more than 90 percent of sudden cardiac arrests occur
outside the hospital setting; and
  Whereas the response times for paramedics or emergency medical
technicians to arrive on-site with a defibrillator are 6 to 10
minutes on a national average; and
  Whereas due to the delayed response times, the national
survival rate for individuals who experience sudden cardiac
arrest is less than five percent; and
  Whereas national studies have demonstrated that, with early
defibrillation, chances of survival rise from five percent to
more than 45 percent; and
  Whereas the only feasible method of increasing the survival
rates from sudden cardiac arrest is through the widespread
deployment of automated external defibrillators (AEDs); and
  Whereas AEDs are approximately the size of a laptop computer
and provide brief but powerful electrical stimulation to the
chest of an individual who has experienced sudden cardiac arrest,
thus interrupting the ventricular fibrillation and helping to
restore the heart's natural rhythm; and
  Whereas with broad deployment of AEDs among trained responders,
as many as 50,000 unnecessary deaths due to sudden cardiac arrest
could be prevented each year; and
  Whereas many factors limit the timely delivery of lifesaving
defibrillation, including traffic, crowds, security measures or
remote locations; and
  Whereas the key to the timely delivery of lifesaving
defibrillation is a wide network of AED-equipped responders; and
  Whereas AEDs can be safely operated by trained volunteers; and
  Whereas the American Red Cross and the American Heart
Association provide regular training opportunities for the
operation of AEDs; and
 
 
Enrolled Senate Joint Resolution 32 (SJR 32-INTRO)         Page 1
 
 
 
  Whereas AEDs are now available in a wide range of settings
including airplanes, office buildings, industrial plants,
casinos, ski resorts, cruise ships and health clubs; and
  Whereas the Congress of the United States has recently enacted
legislation recommending that AEDs be made available in federal
buildings; now, therefore,
 
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
  Oregon:
 
  (1) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services is urged
to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in state
buildings and public places.
  (2) The State Court Administrator is urged to place AEDs in
judicial buildings.
  (3) The State Treasurer, the Attorney General, the Commissioner
of the Bureau of Labor and Industries and the Superintendent of
Public Instruction are urged to place AEDs in buildings under
their purview.
  (4) City, county and other local governments are urged to place
AEDs in government buildings and public places.
                         ----------
 
 
 
                                Adopted by Senate March 26, 2001
 
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                                       Secretary of Senate
 
                               ----------------------------------
                                       President of Senate
 
 
                                 Adopted by House April 20, 2001
 
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                                        Speaker of House
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enrolled Senate Joint Resolution 32 (SJR 32-INTRO)         Page 2