Legislator Seeks Automatic Defibrillators At All County Fields

EAST MEADOW, NY — A member of the Nassau County Legislature introduced a bill on Monday that would require automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at all county-owned athletic fields and courts.

Named “Robbie’s Law,” the bill honors Robbie Levine, a 9-year-old boy who died in 2005 after suffering sudden cardiac arrest during Little League practice on a field without an AED.

The law would also mandate training for coaches, referees and relevant county personnel to ensure proper use and emergency preparedness.

Legislator Seth Koslow (D-Merrick), a ranking member on the Public Safety Committee and a longtime Little League coach, put forth the bill.

“I’ve stood right here, watching kids run these bases, laughing, living. The thought that one fall, one moment without an AED, could mean tragedy, that’s unacceptable, said Koslow. "Today, we act to make sure no parent, no teammate, ever has to live with that haunting what-if, by Introducing ‘Robbie’s Law.’”

According to the American Heart Association, every minute without defibrillation after sudden cardiac arrest decreases the chance of survival by 10 percent.

Legislator Debra Mulé wants to see bipartisan support.

“Robbie’s Law turns years of talk into immediate, meaningful action. If we can’t come together to protect kids playing sports in our parks, what can we come together for?”

In 2022, 10-year-old Lazar LaPenna collapsed and died from epileptic seizure while playing little league in Point Lookout. Lazar's father Gregg has been focused on making sure the Town of Hempstead has AED and CPR equipment at its parks and ballfields.

"That way something like this can be prevented," LaPenna told Patch in 2022. "That's my new mission in life."