Smartphone app could save lives of heart attack victims. It’s coming to the Tri-Cities

A smartphone app could begin saving Tri-City lives within the month.

Richland’s fire department is leading the campaign to bring PulsePoint to the Mid-Columbia, thanks to financial support from local hospitals.

PulsePoint is an app that integrates with 911 systems to alert CPR-trained bystanders to heart attacks happening nearby.

The technology is widely endorsed by fire departments because it means victims could begin receiving CPR before medics can reach them.

That could potentially lessen the 90 percent fatality rate for heart attacks that occur outside of hospitals, according to the American Heart Association.

Chris Skinner, Richland police chief and emergency services director, told the Benton County Emergency Services board that PulsePoint is being piloted and should be ready for its public debut in a month.

Fire departments in Benton and Franklin counties are on board, and area hospitals are paying the modest licensing fee.

App users with CPR training can indicate if they’re willing to step in to help in an emergency.

When 911 fields a heart attack call, the system sends a “CPR Needed” alert to those users.

The system provides maps to AED defibrillators as well to further boost survival odds.

Spokane implemented PulsePoint several years ago. Area responders credit it with saving the life of an infant who stopped breathing in a store.

The notification alerted a volunteer EMT working in a nearby garage.

The EMT raced to the scene and resuscitated the baby, a story told in a touching video posted to YouTube.

Early treatment can mean the difference between life and death for the 350,000 people who have heart attacks outside of hospital settings each year, according to the American Heart Association. Receiving CPR from a bystander can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

While many Americans have received CPR training, very few ever have the chance to use it. The American Red Cross, a major provider of CPR courses, calls it a welcome addition.

“We support anything that saves lives,” said Peggy Hoggarth of the Kennewick office.

A secondary feature promises to make PulsePoint a must-have for news media and anyone interested in the comings and goings of fire departments. It documents when crews are dispatched, providing “looky-loos” with a real-time view of fire department calls.

The app can be downloaded for free but is not currently active in the Tri-Cities.

The PulsePoint Foundation is a San Francisco-based nonprofit focused on increasing heart attack survival rates by enabling CPR-trained bystanders to help in the critical first minutes of an emergency. PulsePoint reports its system has been activated nearly 36,000 times, reaching more than 104,000 citizens and off-duty responders since its inception.

This story was originally published February 24, 2018 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Smartphone app could save lives of heart attack victims. It’s coming to the Tri-Cities."