By Alexis Weik
In recent years, we’ve seen stories on the news of everyday heroes who have saved the lives of choking children. There have been incidents all over Long Island, from Elmont to East Setauket, yet New York does not currently require cafeteria monitors to be certified in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver.
My new bill, SS6127A, known as Stella’s Law, would correct this oversight. The legislation is named in honor of Stella Tsimis, a teacher’s aide in the Connetquot school district who, in February 2023, saved the life of a 7-year-old boy in the school cafeteria by performing the Heimlich maneuver on him while he was choking.
Tsimis received the New York State Liberty Medal for saving the boy’s life. The Liberty Medal is the highest civilian honor awarded by New York state, and is presented only for extraordinary, heroic and life-saving acts.
Tsimis’s actions that day highlighted the need for all adult cafeteria monitors in school cafeterias to be trained in and hold current certifications for first aid, CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, to help ensure the safety of the children who eat there. Requiring the First Aid for Choking poster to be displayed in all school eating areas further supports this goal by providing clear, life-saving instructions that can be followed in an emergency.
Many rescuers have learned the Heimlich maneuver in school health classes, workplace training or even from such posters, but it’s important for teachers, monitors and staff to be able to successfully intervene in an emergency.
Stella’s Law would ensure that personnel are trained, and that informative posters showing the Heimlich maneuver are displayed where students are at the greatest risk of choking. The instructional posters help make sure students are not fearful or afraid if a choking emergency occurs, because they understand this life-saving technique.
There are many resources available in your community.
Organizations like the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association hold classes to help people be prepared for such emergencies. We hosted our first CPR-Heimlich maneuver training in cooperation with the West Babylon Fire Department on Jan. 24.
In 2024, a Patchogue-Medford math teacher, Chris Schiefer, came to the rescue of one of his students. Schiefer noticed the student choking on a gumball and quickly went into action, performing the Heimlich maneuver and helping to dislodge the obstruction. After making sure the student saw the nurse to confirm he was all right, Schiefer turned the incident into a learning opportunity by teaching his students about the Heimlich maneuver and pointing out a chart on the wall demonstrating how to handle a choking incident.
This was a great effort made by a responsible educator, but we should have standard training in place, as well as step-by-step signage for school staff, so they can be frontline administrators of these life-saving techniques.
Please contact your local school district, state senator or Assembly member and encourage them to support Stella’s Law, and to make our schools safer.
Alexis Weik represents the 8th State Senate District.
