Cell phone technology and a strong tower network could prove the difference between life and death, especially in one southeastern Pennsylvania county. Montgomery County has partnered with the PulsePoint Respond app to connect with the county’s Department of Public Safety to alert CPR-trained individuals that someone nearby has had a heart attack, reports the The Reporter.
By connecting with the county’s 911 call center, the app alerts those who have downloaded it that an ambulance has been dispatched. The app alerts all individuals who are CPR trained within a quarter-mile radius of the emergency location, and a second app—PulsePoint AED—will show the location of the nearest Automated External Defibrillator. PulsePoint is partly sponsored and endorsed by CTIA, the cellular industry association.
Under the agreement between PulsePoint and Montgomery County, the county will pay PulsePoint an initial setup fee of $10,000. After that first payment, the county will pay the company an annual licensing fee of $18,000 per year.
“Bystander CPR and use of AED save lives. The Montgomery County PulsePoint app will help those trained in CPR reach victims in need,” County Commissioner Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh told The Reporter. “We are proud to be working closely with local fire, police, EMS and others to spread the word about the technology and also encourage more residents to get trained in CPR, so they can become part of the Montco-PulsePoint team saving lives.”
The county has made sure that local police officers, firefighters, EMS and healthcare professionals in the community have downloaded the app to their phone. Montgomery County is the second county in the state of Pennsylvania to partner with PulsePoint to help increase the likelihood of individuals surviving cardiac arrest.
May 30, 2017
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