A new PulsePoint Foundation integration was announced by RapidSOS. By connecting RapidSOS directly to the NEAR Registry's database of AEDs, naloxone (Narcan), epinephrine, and bleeding-control kits, the integration provides 9-1-1 telecommunicators with instant access to life-saving tools that have been validated by public safety. Without changing their current workflow, telecommunicators can use this information to guide callers to the right resources.

In the United States, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest affects over 350,000 people annually. Survival rates are still about 10 percent, with less than half receiving bystander CPR and only 13 percent obtaining bystander defibrillation. While quick access to an AED can significantly increase the chance of life-saving defibrillation, immediate bystander CPR can treble a person's chances of survival. That gap can be filled by giving 9-1-1 telecommunicators a single, reliable source of information about the location and accessibility of emergency resources. This will increase the likelihood that callers and responders will use nearby AEDs and other life-saving resources in the crucial minutes before EMS arrives.

"Life-saving equipment sits unused in a cabinet or closet because the person who needs it — or the dispatcher trying to help them — has no way of knowing it's there," said Karin Marquez, chief public safety brand officer at RapidSOS. "By bringing the NEAR Registry into the Safety Network, we're not just adding a data source to our 733 million connected devices, apps, and sensors, we're connecting another critical layer of community-based, mission-critical intelligence directly into the hands of the 911 telecommunicator. We're arming these heroes with the tools they need at the moment it matters most."

"Emergency telecommunicators are a critical link in the cardiac arrest chain of survival. Just as they instruct callers to perform CPR, giving them the ability to guide those on scene to a nearby AED can improve outcomes," said Richard Price, founder and president of the PulsePoint Foundation. "Integrating the NEAR Registry into RapidSOS has the potential to make a meaningful difference in cardiac arrest survival."

Learn more at https://www.near-registry.org/.