About once every day in Anchorage, somebody goes into sudden cardiac arrest, a condition that is often reversible if CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is started right away. Our highly trained paramedics and emergency medical technicians are among the best in the nation, but even under ideal circumstances, we’re likely several minutes away. Every minute that goes by without CPR reduces a victim’s chance of survival. We need community members to perform life-saving, hands-only CPR until we arrive.
This month, we introduced PulsePoint, a mobile phone app that works with the 911 dispatch center to automatically notify users of a nearby cardiac arrest. PulsePoint has helped save many lives by connecting people whose hearts have stopped beating with nearby people that know hands-only CPR. PulsePoint will also notify users of nearby AEDs, or easy-to-use automatic external defibrillators.
We encourage everyone to be trained in CPR. However, it’s not necessary to be current or even have had formal training to save a life. Hands-only CPR — no mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing required — is safest and most effective during the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest, especially with an AED.For privacy and safety reasons, PulsePoint will only alert community responders to cardiac arrests in safe, public places. Off-duty firefighters from Anchorage, Girdwood and Chugiak fire departments can be alerted to nearby residences.
PulsePoint users can also choose to be notified of nearby emergencies such as wildfires and traffic accidents. An informed community can take appropriate action such as preparing to evacuate or altering their daily commute.
Please download the PulsePoint Respond app today and become a first, first responder. There is also a companion app, PulsePoint AED, that allows people to easily record the location of public-use AEDs.
— Douglas Schrage
Fire chief, Anchorage Fire Department
Anchorage
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