BOSTON All public schools in the state will be required to put emergency medical response plans in place, evaluate access to life-saving heart defibrillators and ensure teachers and coaches know CPR, under a school safety bill signed yesterday by Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

Other provisions will require public school students to learn CPR as a graduation requirement, but sponsors of the law said it comes short of requiring public schools to have defibrillators.

It is one of two bills on child safety that arose from deaths of children from Central Massachusetts. The school emergency plan law, called Michaels Law, came to the fore in the aftermath of the death of 16-year-old Michael Ellsessar of Sutton in 2010. He died from cardiac arrest after he was tackled in a junior varsity football game in Warren. At the time there was no defibrillator available and it took 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

Meanwhile another bill aimed at preventing drownings and requiring floatation devices for all children unable to swim is advancing toward passage. The devices would be required at state and municipal summer camps and recreation areas.

Named after 4-year-old Christian Frechette who drowned at a town camp in Sturbridge in 2007, the bill passed in the Senate last week and was in line for a House vote.

John and Luann Ellsessar, the parents of Michael, who promoted the school safety bill, attended the signing ceremony.

Its very rewarding. I just feel it will spare people the grief that our family has had to suffer. And that was our goal, that no one should have to go through this, just by having the appropriate things in place, Mrs. Ellsessar said.

She said CPR was started immediately on her son, but he needed the defibrillator and had to wait for an ambulance. You really need that in three minutes or less. That is ideal. So time ran out, she said.

Mr. Ellsessar thanked the governor and lawmakers for putting the law in place. Schools will be prepared. Children will be protected and other people will be protected, he said.

It doesnt bring Michael back, but it will save other people in the future.

Excerpt from:

School medical plan required