PulsePoint App Alerts Users When a Cardiac Arrest Victim is Nearby
Aerial image of the Kirkland, Washington waterfront at Lake Washington. Credit: iStockphoto
By Catherine Dorrough
Washington state’s King County Fire Chiefs Association and Medic One Foundation recently announced the county-wide launch of PulsePoint, a mobile app that notifies users when someone nearby is in cardiac arrest and needs immediate help. The app aims to facilitate CPR aid during the time between a 911 call and the arrival of first responders.
Now, when a 911 center in King County receives a call for a cardiac arrest victim, the dispatcher can initiate a PulsePoint alert, notifying nearby app users at the same time as emergency responders. The app users are directed to the victim’s location and told where to find the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED).
Press conference announcing the launch of PulsePoint. Courtesy of the City of Kirkland, Washington
“The PulsePoint app means community members can help save lives by administering hands-only CPR,” said Kirkland Fire Chief Joe Sanford in a press release. “Whether neighbor or stranger, they can provide immediate help to someone in sudden cardiac arrest when they need it most – in those crucial minutes before medics get there.”
The FirstNet-certified app also alerts users of emergency activity in real time, including traffic collisions and wildland fires. Citizen app users only receive an alert if a cardiac arrest victim is in a public place; medically trained community members and public safety employees can receive an invitation to become “Verified Responders” to receive notifications about cardiac arrests that occur in private homes.
PulsePoint AED is a partner app that aims to build the public AED registry, integrating with ProQA Paramount to allow dispatchers to inform callers of the location of nearby AEDs. According to a PulsePoint fact sheet, the AED app also aims to show co-located resources such as bleeding control kits, naloxone, and epinephrine.
Stakeholders in the joint effort, including King County fire departments, NORCOM 911, Valley Communications, King County Fire Chiefs Association, and Medic One Foundation, aim to recruit more than 20,000 people throughout the county to download the app and become citizen responders. There is no training required to join, and response to alerts is optional.
Seattle, Snohomish County, and other fire agencies in western Washington also participate in PulsePoint.