PulsePoint, the subject of a recent Governing article,
is an app that alerts users when someone nearby is suffering from sudden cardiac
arrest. The alert is sent through local
fire departments and emergency medical services agencies. The idea behind the app is that an everyday
citizen with CPR-training is likely to reach the person faster than emergency
services personnel and can administer CPR until they arrive. The app also allows users to report the
locations of auto external defibrillators (AEDs), devices that work faster and
are easier to use to jump start a person's heart than traditional CPR.
Approximately
325,000 people die each year in the U.S. from sudden cardiac arrest, and about
57 percent of American adults are trained in CPR. The American Heart association estimates that
administering CPR immediately can double or even triple a person's chance of
survival after suffering cardiac arrest.
