08/18/2017
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT:
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responders in Josephine County are gathering Tuesday Morning, August 15 at 10am to promote the go-live launch of PulsePoint Respond, a mobile app that immediately alerts CPR-trained bystanders when a cardiac arrest is happening in a public place. A news conference is being held from 10–11 a.m. at the Asante Center for Outpatient Health on the campus of Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. The public is invited to attend.
Last year, the 911 dispatch center serving Josephine County received 60,961 911 calls. Of these calls, 12,243 were for EMS, with 1,175 for heart-related symptoms and cardiac arrest. To improve a person’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest, PulsePoint has been integrated into Josephine County’s 911 emergency system.
“The PulsePoint app is like an Amber Alert for sudden cardiac arrest victims,” said Marci Haack, administrator for Josephine County 911 Agency. “It uses location-based technology to alert citizens to a sudden cardiac arrest in their immediate vicinity.” The app also notifies users of the closest available AED (automated external defibrillator).
When a cardiac arrest requiring an AED or CPR is reported to 911, citizen users of the PulsePoint app and trained EMS professionals simultaneously receive a notification of the emergency, thereby increasing a person’s chance of survival.
“By directly alerting people who are CPR-trained and who are in the vicinity — maybe in a business next door or in a theater seat nearby — PulsePoint is able to put the right people in the right place at the right time,” said Dr. Chris David, medical director of emergency department services at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. “They can start CPR in the critical life-saving minutes before EMS responders arrive.”
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander-initiated CPR and AED use provided immediately after cardiac arrest can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. “When someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating without any warning so time is critical,” Dr. David added.
Bringing PulsePoint to the citizens of Josephine County has been a community-wide effort. Project partners include American Medical Response, Asante, Grants Pass Fire Rescue, Grants Pass Public Safety, Illinois Valley Fire District, Josephine County 911 Agency, Rural Metro Fire Department, Williams Fire Rescue and Wolf Creek Fire Department.
Josephine County joins eight other Oregon counties that have launched PulsePoint in their communities, including Clackamas, Deschutes, Jackson, Lincoln, Marion, Multnomah, Polk and Washington counties.
About the PulsePoint Foundation:
The free PulsePoint Respond and PulsePoint AED (to identify AED locations) apps are available for iPhone and android and can be downloaded from the iTunes Store and Google Play. PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through the use of location-aware mobile devices PulsePoint is building applications that work with local public safety agencies to improve communications with citizens, empowering them to help increase the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more at www.pulsepoint.org
