In an emergency situation, every second counts. That is why a new app wants to get emergency responders to the scene faster than ever, even if they are not professionals.
The PulsePoint mobile app notifies CPR-trained bystanders when a sudden cardiac arrest event occurs in their immediate vicinity. The alert allows for a civilian to start life-saving CPR or defibrillation until emergency responders are able to arrive.
According to the PulsePoint website, 57 percent of adults in the U.S. report that they have had CPR training, but only 11 percent have used it in an actual emergency situation. The creators want to increase that number through their free app.
Whether you are a first responder by trade or by chance, make sure that you help yourself as well.
Northwest Public Radio reported that the app played a role in saving the life of a baby in Spokane, Washington, last September. When the child stopped breathing at a store, a local mechanic working nearby was notified. He ran over and was able to start performing rescue breaths. Because the nearest fire engine was on another call, it took more than five minutes for medics to arrive.
"The more responders we can get there that can switch out [doing] CPR and keep that person's blood pumping until we have professional responders there, the more likely that person is going to survive," Spokane Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer told Northwest Public Radio.
The app is tied to participating 911 dispatch centers and only available in limited areas at this time. Most recently, the app became available to users in Santa Barbara County. Civilians in the area can download it to an iPhone or Android phone, PulsePoint announced in a press release.