News from Starting Hearts, Eagle County Paramedic Services, and Vail Public Safety Communications Center
Starting Hearts, Eagle County Paramedic Services, and Vail Public Safety Communications Center announce the implementation of PulsePoint in Eagle County to further their collective commitment to creating a healthy and civically engaged community.
PulsePoint Respond is a free downloadable mobile app which alerts CPR-trained citizens in real time of a nearby cardiac arrest so they may administer aid while awaiting the arrival of professional responders. App subscribers who are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and are willing to assist in an emergency are notified of a nearby SCA immediately following the dispatch of advanced medical care. The application also advises citizen rescuers of the closest AED.
A companion app, PulsePoint AED, allows citizens to upload new AED locations, which are then approved by local EMS personnel. Once AEDs are confirmed, they can be viewed by anyone using the free PulsePoint AED app or the PulsePoint Respond app.
PulsePoint in Eagle County is generously underwritten by Eagle County Paramedic Services while Starting Hearts will oversee the ongoing administration of the program, which has been integrated into the Computer-Aided-Dispatch (CAD) software at the 911 dispatch center. "With PulsePoint, we hope to increase bystander involvement in time-sensitive cardiac emergency calls by increasing the use of CPR and AEDs," said Alan Himelfarb, Starting Hearts Executive Director. "It alerts our residents and visitors of a cardiac arrest emergency, and identifies AEDs nearby, allowing them to perform potentially lifesaving CPR while EMS personnel are en route."
"Eagle County Paramedic Services is pleased to partner with Starting Hearts and Vail Public Safety Communications Center to bring PulsePoint to our community," Brandon Daruna, CEO, Eagle County Paramedic Services said. "Every second counts in a cardiac emergency and having a CPR trained bystander on scene before our crews arrive can make a difference in a patient’s outcome. We encourage every resident and visitor in Eagle County to download the app, learn CPR, and be ready and willing to help when it matters most."
"The Vail Public Safety Communications Center is committed to connecting our community with the resources they need in their most critical moments," said Zak Sheets, Director of the Vail Public Safety Communications Center. "PulsePoint integrates seamlessly with our dispatch operations, giving residents and visitors real-time awareness of emergencies in their area and empowering trained bystanders to act before our responders arrive. A more informed and prepared community is a safer one, and we are proud to support this initiative across all of Eagle County."
According to the American Heart Association, community programs like PulsePoint can increase bystander CPR and AED use among the roughly 400,000 cardiac arrests that occur outside the hospital each year in the United States. With the national survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest at less than 10%, Eagle County’s safety agencies are committed to maintaining one of the highest cardiac arrest survival rates in the nation.
About the PulsePoint Foundation: PulsePoint is a public, 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that builds applications for use by public safety agencies to increase community awareness during critical events. The PulsePoint Respond mobile app notifies trained individuals of the nearby need for CPR, and the PulsePoint AED registry identifies AED locations for use in emergencies. Learn more and download the app at www.pulsepoint.org
About Eagle County Paramedic Services: Eagle County Paramedic Services provides advanced life support emergency medical services to residents and visitors throughout Eagle County, Colorado, including the communities of Vail, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum, and the surrounding areas.
About The Vail Public Safety Communications Center: The Vail Public Safety Communications Center is a multi-agency public safety answering point for 9-1-1 calls. The center dispatches directly for Avon Police Department, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle County Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, Eagle County Paramedic Services, Eagle Police Department, Eagle River Fire Protection District, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Gypsum Fire Protection District, Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Vail Fire and Emergency Services and Vail Police Department. For more information visit vail911.com
About Starting Hearts: Starting Hearts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Frisco and Avon, CO. Our mission is to save the lives of sudden cardiac arrest victims through free CPR and AED education, widespread distribution of lifesaving defibrillators in public places, activation of citizen first responders, and broad stakeholder cooperation in the communities we serve. To learn more, visit us at startinghearts.org, email us at info@startinghearts.org, or give us a call at 970.763.5306.
