PulsePoint is a phone application alerting users when someone nearby is experiencing cardiac arrest. When the event is called into 911, PulsePoint alerts participants within a quarter-mile radius of the nearest automated external defibrillator, or AED.
“It’s casting a wide net for anyone and everyone that’s able to be close by and help out.”
According to Pete McWaters, Executive Director at Ottawa County Central Dispatch, app users trained in CPR will also be notified.
“People trained in CPR are going to be able to get there quicker than even the first responders and then the first responders will then show up to take over care."
According to Dr. John Krohmer, Medical Director for HeartSafe Holland, when someone experiences a cardiac arrest, CPR needs to begin as quickly as possible in order to manually move blood through the heart until it can be jump-started with an AED.
“For every minute that the heart is stopped, an individual’s chance of survival decreases by ten percent. So, you know, if we can start CPR within a minute or two, the likelihood of that individual surviving that cardiac arrest and going home without any significant problems is significantly elevated.”
You can find the PulsePoint app in your cell phone’s app store.