ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Central Florida mom is out with a warning and a call to action for kids with allergies as Florida lawmakers are once again considering legislation that would require anaphylaxis and EpiPen training for school staff running before- and after-school programs, as well as extracurricular activities.
This is an update to a story News 6 first reported in 2023. At the time, Lincoln Isler, who suffers from life-threatening food allergies, was in the first grade at Aloma Elementary School in Orange County.
His mom, Sherry, recalled a terrifying moment on the first day of school when she asked the caregiver from the before- and after-school program about EpiPen protocols.
“I went to drop him off and I asked the caregiver there from the before- and after-school care program, ‘Who would be responsible, like what do they need to know?’ And she just looked at me and she said, ‘We don’t give EpiPens. We don’t have any training,‘” Sherry Isler said.
Sherry then discovered that Orange County Public Schools outsourced most before- and after-school programs to third-party vendors. At the time, that led to inconsistent protocols across schools.
“Kids are eating breakfast there, as well as after school snacks, and if nobody’s trained on recognizing signs of an allergic reaction and giving him his EpiPen if needed, then he’s just not safe,” Sherry Isler said.
Legislative efforts
After the Islers shared their story, Orange County Public Schools announced they now require allergy and EpiPen training in all before- and after-school programs. However, Sherry Isler wants to get results statewide.
Last year, state lawmakers from Orlando proposed legislation to require training in before- and after-school programs, but it never made it into committee. This year, the issue is once again before lawmakers with House Bill 1197 and Senate Bill 1514.
What would the bills do?
The legislation would require each school district to ensure that for a student with an emergency action plan (EAP), their EAP is effective at all times when the student is on campus, including during extracurricular activities, athletics, school dances and contracted before-school and after-school programs at his or her school.
It would also require that each school district ensure that schools provide training to school personnel, and before- and after-care staff, on preventing and responding to an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis and administering epinephrine. At least one member of the school personnel with such training must be on school grounds to execute a student’s EAP.
Growing need for training
Both the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend anaphylaxis and EpiPen training for school staff, which many organizations offer for free. The need for this training is greater than ever, as food allergies are rising, now affecting one in every 13 kids.
“There have been children that have died from anaphylaxis at schools, and it really shouldn’t happen. As long as they have training on how to prevent an allergic reaction and how to treat it immediately, nobody has to die,” Sherry Isler.
On Tuesday, the HB 1197 made its way through the final committee hearing. SB 1514 still needs to go through two more Senate committees before there could be a floor vote.
The Florida legislative session ends May 2.