New law allows libraries to receive grants for AEDs

Hoping to make public libraries safer, state Rep. Michelle Mussman, a Democrat from Schaumburg, sponsored a new law that will allow public libraries to receive grants from the public safety general funds to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AED), which are used when a person's heart suddenly stops beating.

"Public libraries are a phenomenal community resource space, and I want to be sure that they are equipped to handle emergencies that might occur," Mussman said. "If someone is at the library and their heart stops beating, it is imperative that they receive help as quickly as possible. By having a defibrillator ready to use, the victim will not have to wait for an ambulance to arrive, and a life might be saved."

Mussman supported the new law that will provide grant money to public libraries to buy AEDs, which are portable devices that are used to check someone's heart rhythm and treat sudden cardiac arrest. The legislation passed unanimously through both the House and the Senate, and was recently signed into law on March 18.

The Schaumburg Township District Library is the second largest library in the state, with nearly 1 million people visiting per year, and Mussman wants it to be ready for any emergency that could happen.

"With so much the Schaumburg Library has to offer, more and more people continue to visit, and it should be prepared to help someone whose heart stops while visiting the library" Mussman said. "This law will make libraries throughout the state safer, and I am thankful that all members of the General Assembly and the governor were able to come together to pass this lifesaving law."