For immediate release: Feb. 14, 2023
Media contacts:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov
406-595-8963
Takami Clark, City of Bozeman Communications & Engagement Manager
tclark@bozeman.net
406-579-9237
Gallatin County 911 and Local Fire Departments Launch Use of PulsePoint Mobile App to Help Save Lives
The PulsePoint Respond mobile phone application will increase community awareness of medical emergencies and alert and direct CPR-trained individuals nearby to cardiac arrest victims.
Gallatin County 911 and the fire departments within Gallatin County announced the launch of PulsePoint today, a mobile phone application designed to support public safety agencies by increasing cardiac arrest survival rates through improved bystander performance and active resident support.
“This is a great opportunity to involve the community in the life saving efforts that occur every day,” stated Gallatin County 911 Director, Tim Martindale.
Gallatin County’s 911 dispatch center has formally integrated the use of the PulsePoint application with the 911 computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. When a 911 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.
“Time is one of the most critical factors when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest,” said Bozeman Fire Chief Josh Waldo. “Having the PulsePoint mobile app to alert nearby CPR-trained citizens strengthens our entire response system and increases the likelihood of someone surviving the cardiac arrest.”
Greg Megaard, Big Sky Fire Chief, also noted the importance of the right person at the right time, adding, “During a cardiac event, time and training is essential to making a difference in the outcome.”
Anyone with the app who is located within a 0.25-mile radius of the incident can receive a push notification to the location of the closest publicly accessible automated external defibrillator (AED) to render aid.
“The emergency medical systems with the highest save rates in the world all start with the same thing – early CPR from bystanders who help when they see someone in need,” Greg Tryon, Fire Chief at Central Valley Fire District, stated.
The PulsePoint app is available for download on Google Play and the iPhone App Store.
About the PulsePoint Foundation
PulsePoint is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that builds applications for use by public safety agencies to increase community awareness during critical events. The PulsePoint Respond mobile app notifies trained individuals of the nearby need for CPR and the PulsePoint AED registry identifies AED (automated external defibrillator) locations for use by the public and 911 telecommunicators during emergency call taking. PulsePoint also provides specialized mobile apps for professional responders. Learn more at pulsepoint.org or join the conversation at Facebook and Twitter. The free app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
About Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Although a heart attack can lead to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the two are not the same. SCA is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly, whereas a heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, but the heart continues to beat. Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur, making it the leading cause of death in the United States. Survival rates nationally for SCA are less than eight percent, but delivery of CPR can sustain life until paramedics arrive by maintaining vital blood flow to the heart and brain. However, only about a third of SCA victims receive bystander CPR. Without CPR, brain damage or death can occur in minutes. The average EMS response time is nine minutes, even in urban settings; after 10 minutes there is little chance of successful resuscitation. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after SCA, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
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