Sen. Westlin Authors Bill Requiring Coaches To Be Trained in CPR, AED Use
A bill advancing at the state Capitol would require all Minnesota high school coaches to receive training to perform compression-only CPR and use an AED device.
The legislation, SF 3548, is sponsored by Sen. Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, and has bipartisan support. The bill would offer coaches free training in partnership with medical entities and would not cost schools any money. It would take effect for the 2027-2028 school year.
More than 230,000 students participated in sports across Minnesota last year, according Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) statistics. That puts the state in the top 10 in the country for athletic participation.
Despite the high participation numbers, Minnesota is one of a few states that does not mandate CPR or AED training for coaches and assistant coaches.
“What we do know is that with all sudden cardiac arrests, time is of the essence,” said Westlin.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for student athletes. Performing CPR and providing a shock to the heart with an AED dramatically increase chances of survival.
A Mother’s Testimony
A mother whose daughter went into sudden cardiac arrest during a softball game last August in Lakeville testified in support of the legislation.
“I watched her face and lips go white,” said a tearful Danielle Tirevold during testimony in the Senate Committee on Education Policy on March 9. “My child was pulseless.”
Tirevold, a registered nurse, rushed into action to perform CPR on her daughter, Gia. No AED was immediately available. Compressions went on for more than 10 minutes. Tirevold’s knees were bleeding due to the time spent on the dirt next to third base.
“No one there was trained to assist me,” said Tirevold, recalling how everyone was gathered around her watching, crying and praying.
Tirevold thought her daughter would suffer permanent brain damage or not survive. First responders then arrived with an AED.
“All it took was one shock and Gia was in a normal rhythm,” said Tirevold. “She had an amazing recovery and returned to the field only seven weeks later.”
She said Gia did not have an underlying heart condition when the incident occurred.
“She has the healthiest heart of an athlete and had zero symptoms on that day.”
Danielle Tirevold testifies in support of Sen. Bonnie Westlin’s bill/courtesy MN Senate Media Services
A Plymouth Father’s Support
Norm Okerstrom, a Plymouth resident, also testified in support. Okerstrom’s son collapsed on a Wayzata High School football field during practice in 2009 due to sudden cardiac arrest.
“For every minute that passes from sudden cardiac arrest, collapse to fibrillation, the chance of survival decreases 10 percent per minute. Thankfully, Teddy’s coach, Matt Lombardi, had been trained,” Okerstrom said during the March 9 hearing.
The coach performed chest compressions, while an AED was rushed to the field. Okerstrom credits the training of his son’s coaches for saving his son’s life.
Okerstrom has since taken on an active role with Minnesota SCA Advocates, an organization that supports families coping with a sudden cardiac arrest incident. His son, Teddy, is now 32 years old and works as a middle school teacher in Denver.
Norm Okerstrom of Plymouth testifies in support of Sen. Westlin legislation/courtesy MN Senate Media Services
What Next
Sen. Westlin is calling on the MSHSL, the governing body that sets policies for high school sports, to support the legislation.
“I have carried bills related to this topic multiple years now, and every single year, strange thing happens: Minnesota State High School League opposes my bills but hasn’t come to talk to me once about them, in any of the cases. Not once,” said Westlin. “I’m baffled by that.”
The bill was unanimously approved by the Committee on Education Policy. It was sent to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety for further review.
