SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management and City officials today announced the launch of PulsePoint, a mobile phone application (PulsePoint app) designed to support public safety agencies increasing cardiac arrest survival rates through improved bystander performance and active resident support.
San Francisco’s 9-1-1 dispatch center has formally integrated the use of the PulsePoint application with the 9-1-1 computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. When a 9-1-1 dispatcher receives and identifies a call related to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the information on the CAD system will automatically trigger a PulsePoint application push notification.
“When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest, help must arrive as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival,” said San Francisco Department of Emergency Management Executive Director Mary Ellen Carroll. “The PulsePoint app provides 9-1-1 dispatchers with an additional tool to notify individuals nearby to respond, perform lifesaving CPR quickly, and provide AED assistance until first responders arrive.”
Anyone with the app who is located within a six-block radius of the incident can receive a push notification to the location of the closest publicly accessible automated external defibrillator (AED) to render aid.
“Time is of the upmost importance when it comes to helping someone experiencing a cardiac arrest. The PulsePoint app provides this critical element: closing the time gap between when CPR is started,” said San Francisco Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson. “We want anyone willing and able to conduct CPR on someone experiencing cardiac arrest to download the PulsePoint app. This way bystanders and emergency medical first responders can work together to save lives.”
In the past three months, DEM’s Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) staff have received three CPR-needed alerts from the PulsePoint app. EMSA staff were able to respond in person with an AED within five minutes, arriving before or at the same time as paramedics.
DEM conducted a soft launch of the app on May 19, 2022 and has seen a steady increase in the number of registered users. There are 1027 registered monthly active users as of July 2022. The PulsePoint app is available for download on Google Play, iPhone App Store, or by scanning the QR code below.
SOURCE: San Francisco Department of Emergency Management