WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Lexi Homberger — a third grade teacher at Dodge Elementary — was recognized in 2023, by the Williamsville School Board, after saving a choking student using the Heimlich maneuver.
"I want to publicly thank Ms. Homberger for saving my son's life and giving him the opportunity to put him to bed that fateful night," the boy's father, Jason Bork, said at that school board meeting.
Bork asked the school board to consider buying a device, called LifeVac, for each school as a result of what happened to his son.
"You can get a school kit for four of these," Bork said at the time. "So for under $1,000, you can put these in every cafeteria at least throughout the district and I think this would be a valuable purchase. I feel it's a small price to pay for a tool that could potentially save a life."
Fast forward to today, State Senator George Borrello — a Republican from Chautauqua County — wants them in every school, statewide.
"It's just one more tool in the toolbox if you will," Borrello said.
Borrello is one of several lawmakers introducing a bill in Albany, mandating schools at least have these anti-choking devices on school grounds.
WATCH: NYS lawmaker pushing for anti-choking devices, not approved by FDA, in schools
He knows the recommended procedure is to use the Heimlich maneuver and that these devices are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Drantch: Why would you want something in schools that is not approved by the FDA?
Borrello: The FDA isn't saying it's unsafe. They're basically just saying there isn't enough evidence for them to approve it. There's certainly enough anecdotal evidence that lives have been saved.
But Williamsville School Superintendent Dr. Darren Brown-Hall is pushing back against that bill.
Drantch: Would you be comfortable having them in school?
Brown-Hall: See, that's very, very tricky because we want to make sure that everything we have in our buildings is appropriate and the FDA approval helps us realize what is appropriate for a school setting and what isn't. So I would have real concern about that if the bill advanced and there was no FDA approval.
In that same district, it was the Heimlich that saved Jason Bork's son, thanks to a trained teacher, no device necessary.
The 7 News I-Team asked Borrello if the state would pay for these devices. He said it would need to be attached to a state budget. If it wasn't in the budget, Borrello said he does not believe it would be cost-prohibitive for school districts.
We also reached out to the FDA for a comment, but did not hear back.
