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November 19, 2024
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The Florida Statutes

The 2024 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII
EARLY LEARNING-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1006
SUPPORT FOR LEARNING
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F.S. 1006.165
1006.165 Well-being of students participating in extracurricular activities; training.
(1)(a) Each public school that is a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) must have an operational automated external defibrillator on the school grounds. The defibrillator must be available in a clearly marked and publicized location for each athletic contest, practice, workout, or conditioning session, including those conducted outside of the school year. Public and private partnerships are encouraged to cover the cost associated with the purchase and placement of the defibrillator and training in the use of the defibrillator.
(b) Beginning June 1, 2021, a school employee or volunteer with current training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of a defibrillator must be present at each athletic event during and outside of the school year, including athletic contests, practices, workouts, and conditioning sessions. The training must include completion of a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or a basic first aid course that includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, and demonstrated proficiency in the use of a defibrillator. Each employee or volunteer who is reasonably expected to use a defibrillator must complete this training.
(c) The location of each defibrillator must be registered with a local emergency medical services medical director. Each employee or volunteer required to complete the training under paragraph (b) must annually be notified in writing of the location of each defibrillator on school grounds.
(d) The use of defibrillators by employees and volunteers is covered under ss. 768.13 and 768.1325.
(2)(a) In order to better protect student athletes participating in athletics during hot weather and avoid preventable injury or death, the FHSAA shall:
1. Make training and resources available to each member school for the effective monitoring of heat stress.
2. Establish guidelines for monitoring heat stress and identify heat stress levels at which a school must make a cooling zone available for each outdoor athletic contest, practice, workout, or conditioning session. Heat stress must be determined by measuring the ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud cover at the site of the athletic activity.
3. Require member schools to monitor heat stress and modify athletic activities, including suspending or moving activities, based on the heat stress guidelines.
4. Establish hydration guidelines, including appropriate introduction of electrolytes after extended activities or when a student participates in multiple activities in a day.
5. Establish requirements for cooling zones, including, at a minimum, the immediate availability of cold-water immersion tubs or equivalent means to rapidly cool internal body temperature when a student exhibits symptoms of exertional heat stroke and the presence of an employee or volunteer trained to implement cold-water immersion.
6. Require each school’s emergency action plan, as required by the FHSAA, to include a procedure for onsite cooling using cold-water immersion or equivalent means before a student is transported to a hospital for exertional heat stroke.

The requirements of this paragraph apply year-round.

(b) Each athletic coach and sponsor of extracurricular activities involving outdoor practices or events shall annually complete training in exertional heat illness identification, prevention, and response, including effective administration of cooling zones.
History.s. 8, ch. 2006-301; s. 2, ch. 2020-91.