Call it common sense but legislation making its way through the State Legislature seems like a smart move to us.

The measure, from state Rep. John Fitzgerald, D-Wyoming, would require schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place for all athletic events.

It has passed the House and is awaiting Senate action.

It followed the Feb. 18 death of 18-year-old Detroit Northwestern High School athlete Cartier Woods, who died a week after he suffered cardiac arrest during a basketball game, according to the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The pending bill would require all public and charter school coaches and assistant coaches to add AED training to the already mandatory CPR training.

“The bill is to implement a cardiac emergency response plan, which would be a formalized plan of who is responding, what are their duties and what their responsibilities are in case of a cardiac emergency,” said Fitzgerald. “The school will be allowed to assign specific personnel to determine who is included in their response team,” he said.

Fitzgerald noted that having trained persons on site is the goal, not just head coaches but other faculty as well.

There’s more.

The sponsor of a related bill, Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, talked about what training and the costs will look like if the legislation passes.

“The AED training will piggyback on the yearly CPR training that is already required for coaches. There will be no extra cost for the additional training,” he said.

Carter said the state will cover all costs of the AED machines if the legislation passes.

A lot of organizations have lined up in favor of this legislation, including the Department of Education, the Detroit Lions, the Michigan State Medical Society, the Michigan Athletic Trainer’s Society and the American Heart Association.

Will there is a cost to state government? Yes there will, but look at it this way: It’s literally a matter of life and death.

We support the legislation and look forward to it passing.

— The Mining Journal