A free CPR smartphone app called PulsePoint is now available in Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue's (TVF&R) service area. The PulsePoint app enables subscribers who have indicated they are CPR trained* to be alerted to a cardiac arrest event simultaneously with TVF&R's firefighters EMT/paramedics.
Following a call to 9-1-1, the app uses sophisticated location-based services to alert citizens of the need for CPR in a public place. The application also directs citizen rescuers to the exact location of the nearest public access automated external defibrillator (AED). The free PulsePoint app can be found in the Apple App Store or in Android Apps on Google Play.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue is the first fire department in Oregon to implement the PulsePoint app. Media are invited to attend a press conference in which Fire Chief Mike Duyck will officially launch the first CPR alert for a cardiac arrest. Watch our PulsePoint video at TVF&R's YouTube site.
In addition to cardiac arrest incidents, the PulsePoint app also provides a virtual window into TVF&R's emergency activity. Users can view active incidents and dispatched units, and pinpoint incident locations on an interactive map. Users also can choose to be notified of incidents by type and monitor emergency radio traffic via this modern version of the traditional fire scanner.
Fire Chief Mike Duyck states, "We are honored to bring this lifesaving tool to this region. TVF&R's cardiac survival rates are some of the highest in the nation and this technology is another way in which we can--in partnership with our community--save even more lives."
Learn more about the PulsePoint app at www.pulsepoint.org.
