DANVILLE, Va. – A new smartphone app connected to Danville’s emergency response system aims to help cardiac arrest victims receive lifesaving CPR faster by alerting nearby volunteers.
The app, called PulsePoint, is integrated with Danville’s 911 network. When someone experiences cardiac arrest in a public place, users within a quarter mile receive an alert so they can respond and begin CPR before emergency crews arrive.
Danville Fire Department Deputy Chief of Technical Services Ryan Campbell said the faster someone begins CPR or uses an automated external defibrillator (AED), the greater the chance the patient survives.
“The sooner that we can start CPR and the sooner you can apply an AED during a cardiac arrest event, the higher the likelihood of a positive outcome is for that patient,” Campbell said.
PulsePoint founder Richard Price, a former firefighter, created the app after recognizing how critical rapid intervention is during cardiac emergencies.
“With cardiac arrest, you only have about 10 minutes to survive,” Price said. “Your heart’s not beating, you’re not breathing, and you really need rapid intervention.”
Price said the app alerts people to more than 800 cardiac-related events each day nationwide. He added that patients who arrive at the hospital alive after a cardiac event often have a strong chance of recovery.
In addition to emergency alerts, another app by the non-profit maps nearby AED locations and notifies users about other incidents in their communities.
Augusta County has used PulsePoint for more than two years, and officials there say the program has already produced measurable results.
According to Augusta County EMS Division Chief Matt Lawler, AED use before emergency responders arrive has increased significantly since the app was introduced.
“Compared to a period before we started using PulsePoint, we had actually a 94% increase in AED use prior to the arrival of emergency services,” Lawler said. “We’ve also had, in the past two years, a 6% increase in resuscitations in the field compared to the prior period.”
Lawler said even people without formal CPR training can still make a difference in an emergency.
“If you have had no training in CPR, if you just go to the person’s side and put your hands on their chest and pump up and down on their chest, that’s better than not doing anything,” he said.
Officials recommend residents download the app regardless of where they live, saying widespread participation increases the likelihood that someone nearby can help during a cardiac emergency.