Regional collaboration leads to heart safe communities

Carson City Fire, East Fork Fire Protection District, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, and Quad County Public Health Preparedness are proud to announce the collaborative launch of PulsePoint, a free mobile app that guides lifesaving CPR response for registered users within Carson City and Douglas County.

PulsePoint is a smartphone app for both Android and iPhones that runs in the background of a user’s phone. Users are informed of a sudden cardiac arrest at the same time as emergency responders. The location of the closest automated external defibrillator (AED) will also be provided to app users as they may arrive before either law enforcement or firefighter/paramedics.

The app also allows the public to see locations of public access AEDs and provide crowd source information on additional devices the local 9-1-1 center may not be aware of. Organizations within Carson City and Douglas County can register their publicly available AEDs through PulsePoint.

“We strongly encourage all residents to download the lifesaving mobile app,” said Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon. East Fork Fire Chief Tod Carlini added, “This app will assist our community in savings lives.” Tahoe Douglas Chief Scott Baker encourages everyone to learn CPR so they can be ready to save a life.

Efforts such as this are how the Quad Counties (Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey) work to build a resilient community. Quad County Public Health Preparedness Program Manager, Jeanne Freeman, said, “The collaboration in our region allows us to build resiliency to protect lives and enhance our communities.” This program is supported by the Nevada State Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number 6 NU90TP921907-01-04 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Douglas County has been recognized as a Heart Safe Community since 2014. This app adds another layer to improving cardiac arrest outcomes. It has been shown early CPR and AED use provides the best chance of victim survival. The goal of a Heart Safe Community is to reduce out of hospital death from cardiac arrest by strengthening the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival.

A video has been created to further explain the program. Click to watch https://youtu.be/vNl37S6FSUQ.