A mobile app that allows users to render immediate aid to cardiac arrest victims in their vicinity will be launched in Los Angeles
County today.
County officials said the location-based smartphone app known as
PulsePoint empowers ordinary citizens to provide life-saving aid to victims of sudden cardiac arrest until emergency crews arrive.
According to the company, registered users trained in CPR are notified through the app by 911 dispatchers whenever someone in their area needs help.
From there, the app directs users to the victim, instructs them on CPR techniques and points them to the nearest automatic external defibrillator (AED).
Officials said only 8 percent of cardiac arrest victims survive
nationwide, and survivability rates are directly dependant on receiving immediate CPR. Providing immediate chest compressions to cardiac arrest victims can double or even triple chances for survival, according to the American Heart Association.
With the implementation of the app in Los Angeles County, officials hope the survivability rate for cardiac arrest victims in the area will increase.
Touted by the PulsePoint Foundation as an “AMBER alert for cardiac arrest victims,” the app will only notify users of emergencies that take place in public places and not include alerts for emergencies at residential addresses.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is encouraging residents to become CPR-certified in order to use the app. More information on CPR classes in the county can be found by contacting 323.881.2411 or emailing info@fire.lacounty.gov.
