New Ohio law mandates defibrillators in schools, sports venues after 2023 collapse of Bills’ Hamlin

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, must be placed in nearly every school or sports and recreation venue in Ohio under a bill signed this week by Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. The legislation was sparked by the sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin on the field during a National Football League game in Cincinnati in January 2023. It would require employees to undergo special training on using AEDs and recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest. Schools and other locations also have to hold informational sessions for students before each athletic season.