Today the Newport News Fire Department launched the interactive mobile app, PulsePoint, a nationally known program the department has been working to implement over the past few months. PulsePoint (
www.pulsepoint.org) interfaces with the City’s dispatch system and alerts CPR-trained citizens when someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest in a nearby public location.
Mayor McKinley L. Price, Fire Chief R.B. Alley and Assistant Fire Chief for EMS Robert Lee presented the functions and importance of the app to fellow city and community leaders followed by engaging demonstrations of hands-only CPR on CPR manikins and the use of AEDs.
“PulsePoint is going to be tremendous benefit to both residents and visitors of Newport News – and with American Heart Month beginning next week, now is the perfect time to bring awareness to PulsePoint and get involved. If one life can be saved through this app, it’s definitely worth it,” Mayor Price said.
Nationally, more than 350,000 people each year experience out of hospital sudden cardiac arrest and the survival rate is just 11%. Statistics show that early CPR and cardiac defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) can significantly increase a patient's ability to survive sudden cardiac arrest. This program allows citizens to download the
PulsePoint Respond mobile app and receive an alert if they are within a quarter mile of the distressed person’s location. Citizens can also download the
PulsePoint AED mobile app to provide the location of an AED within a public facility.
Visit
www.pulsepoint.org for more information. The apps can be downloaded in the
Google Play and
Apple Stores.
