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CPR Seattle Blog

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PulsePoint App Now Available For King County

King County Residents!

Imagine a loved one collapses while shopping, due to cardiac arrest…but the paramedics are 10 minutes from the scene.

In the store next door are three people trained in CPR, but they have no idea they’re needed just 50 feet away…

As of now, that could be a thing of the past.

The PulsePoint app, which can notify users when someone nearby reports a possible cardiac arrest, has been activated for use throughout King County. The PulsePoint app provides a service that was impossible before the advent of smart phone use.

Collaboration between King County fire departments, NORCOM 911, Valley Communications, King County Fire Chiefs Association, and the Medic One Foundation has brought this service to the King County area.

The purpose of the app is to mobilize those nearby persons who may be able to provide CPR before EMS services arrive on the scene. For victims of cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without CPR results an a 10% less chance of survival.

The app alerts users much in the same way as an Amber Alert – an alert tone sounds and the user is shown a map indicating the location of the possible victim.

The alerts are sent out only if the victim is in a public place – private residences are not included.

The app can also show users the location of nearby AEDs (defibrillators). There is a companion app, PulsePoint AED, that allows users to add additional AED locations to the system.

While we recommend everyone receive formal, hands-on CPR training at some point, anyone can provide CPR, regardless of their experience. Also, use of the app does not obligate a bystander to provide CPR.

The King County EMS agencies are hoping to have 20,000 users of the app across King County.

Head to www.pulsepoint.org/download to join that 20,000 today!


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Published on June 7, 2022