Gov. Scott Walker at a bill signing ceremony in Wausau. (Photo: WSAU)
Wisconsin schools are now required to teach CPR and other life-saving techniques in health classes, under a bill signed into law Tuesday by the governor.
The measure, signed during a ceremony at a Wausau high school, makes lifesaving skills a required part of the curriculum. Students in grades 7-12 will have to learn about how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR), along with how to use automated external defibrillators to restart someone’s heart.
State Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon), a co-author of the bill, said it will have a lifelong positive impact. “This bill actually will save lives. It gives us training and knowledge to young people that are in school, and they’ll be able to use it throughout their life.”
Governor Scott Walker said he hopes that the legislation will inspire older citizens to learn life-saving techniques as well. “Our goal is to hope that it won’t just be our students, but that it will encourage the parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends and others to seek this really life-saving training,” the governor said.
The curriculum changes will take effect beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.
Contributed by WSAU