The Riverside Fire Department has introduced the PulsePoint mobile app, designed to alert CPR-trained residents of nearby cardiac arrest incidents in public places.
The PulsePoint app sends notifications to off-duty medical professionals and community members trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when someone nearby is experiencing cardiac arrest. The aim is to ensure immediate CPR assistance in the vital moments before emergency services arrive. Additionally, the app provides the location of the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED), allowing for potential defibrillation.
The American Heart Association states that the chances of survival decrease by 7-10% for each minute without CPR and defibrillation. RFD Chief Michael Moore noted, “In 2021, our department attended 629 incidents where cardiac arrest was either the initial dispatch or discovered upon arrival. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation can more than double a victim’s chance of survival.”
The app, available for free on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, allows users to receive notifications for local incidents, including cardiac arrest events in public places. However, alerts for incidents at private residences will not be issued. To use the service, residents should download the app and select the agency “Riverside Fire, CA.”
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson emphasized the community’s role: "This is a no-cost, high-reward life-changing technology that can save lives in our community.”
The Riverside Medical Clinic Charitable Foundation (RMCCF) financially supported the local introduction of PulsePoint. The foundation’s Riverside Project Heart initiative focuses on PulsePoint technology, CPR education, and AED technology. Lynda Bailey, RMCCF Executive Director, expressed pride in the public-private partnership and emphasized the foundation’s commitment to community education.
Riversiders can download the PulsePoint app at riversideprojectheart.com
