Nearly 60% of sudden cardiac arrest victims don’t get CPR before professional help arrives, crucial minutes that may mean the difference between life and death. With Monday’s public release of the PulsePoint mobile app, Murrieta Fire and Rescues hopes to increase cardiac arrest survival rates by empowering everyday citizens.
PulsePoint is a free mobile app that works in tangent with local 9-1-1 dispatch. It connects CPR/AED-certified bystanders with a citizen, friend or co-worker is experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest event in a public place. The application also directs potential rescuers to the exact location of the closest automated external defibrillator. Since its launch in 2011, more than 3,500 communities have connected with PulsePoint and nearly 2 million people have downloaded the app worldwide.
The process weaves crowdsourcing and dispatch technology. When a citizen dials 9-1-1 and reports someone in cardiac arrest, the dispatch center alerts firefighters, who head to the scene. Simultaneously, the PulsePoint app recognizes that there is a cardiac arrest event occurring and notifies users if they are within a quarter mile of the location, and in a public place.
“For each minute without CPR, a person’s chances of survival drop by 10 percent,” explains Emergency Medical Services Coordinator Jennifer Antonucci.
“We’re going to get there as fast as possible,” adds Fire Chief David Lantzer, “But every single second counts. If PulsePoint can help direct early resources to the scene, it may save a life—and that’s our goal.”
Murrieta’s adoption of PulsePoint was supported by a $10K donation from Murrieta Rotary Club with funds raised through flag purchases at the Rotary Field of Honor. To learn more about PulsePoint and local CPR/AED training resources, visit MurrietaCA.Gov/PulsePoint.
Download PulsePoint from your mobile device.