Ahead of Sunday’s Buffalo Bills playoff game, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara will be introducing legislation which will require that all youth sports coaches in New York State are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This is in the wake of a recent incident where Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the January 2^nd game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

During this game, CPR was administered on the field and Hamlin’s heartbeat was revived before he was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Experts have said that this immediate on-the-field medical attention may have been crucial in saving Hamlin’s life and future health.

Under current State Education Law, high school coaches are already required to have CPR training. This legislation would also require youth sports coaches to receive training in CPR. These efforts can help maintain brain function until further measures can be taken by first responders to revive an individual experiencing cardiac arrest.

“Watching the Buffalo Bills game, we all realized the importance of immediate first aid in these emergency situations,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “That’s why I’m introducing legislation to make sure that all coaches of youth sports in New York State have basic CPR training and are able to administer first aid in these moments where every second counts.”

While Damar Hamlin’s incident brought attention to the potential dangers of sudden impacts to the chest in football, these injuries can also take place in other common youth sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, hockey and lacrosse.

Santabarbara notes that the American Heart Association and American Red Cross offer first aid and CPR courses, at times for free, during special events, workshops and CPR week.