SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday to ensure 9-1-1 dispatchers know how to properly teach people to perform CPR over the phone.
Sponsors and advocates say instructions and guidance from dispatchers could mean the difference between life and death.
The Illinois State Police Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator will be responsible for training all dispatchers.
"We are losing too many of our friends and family to heart disease," said Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield). "Ensuring that our emergency dispatchers are well-equipped to handle these situations will save lives."
The American Heart Association said more than 350,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest annually, but only one in ten people survive. The organization said this change could give more people the chance to survive.
"T-CPR empowers bystanders to become lifesavers in the critical moments before EMS arrives," said Sarah Lackore, Illinois government relations director for the American Heart Association. "This legislation is a vital step in strengthening the chain of survival and saving more lives in our communities."
Senate Bill 1295 now moves to the House floor for further consideration. Rep. Lisa Davis (D-Chicago) will be the lead sponsor in the House. Davis helped move the companion bill, House Bill 1697, out of the House Police and Fire Committee last month. Her legislation could be heard on third reading for the House this week.
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