Green Cove Springs, FL – Clay County Fire Rescue is partnering with PulsePoint to empower everyday citizens to save a life from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Each year, more than 356,500 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. In Clay County, more than 300 people experience SCA annually and need immediate assistance. For extremely time-sensitive emergencies like SCA, notifying nearby individuals willing to take quick life-saving action at the same time the Fire/EMS response system is initiated, is the premise behind PulsePoint. The delivery of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillation within moments of an SCA, can sustain life until paramedics arrive. PulsePoint works through a pair of smart phone applications, PulsePoint Respond and PulsePoint AED, that together notify nearby users of the need for help and identify the location of the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Both PulsePoint apps can be download for free on your smart phone from the App Store or Google Play.
The PulsePoint Respond app allows you to follow the Clay County Fire Rescue 911 calls to see where vehicle accidents, fires, or medical emergencies are occurring in real-time. All Clay County Fire Rescue 911 calls are linked to PulsePoint through advanced Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) integration, which provides immediate notification to the app user. Select the type of notifications you want to receive, and PulsePoint will send an alert at the same time emergency responders are dispatched. These notifications are NOT intended for a public response and are for situational awareness only. If you opt in for “CPR Needed” alerts and are within ¼ mile of a cardiac arrest in a public location, the app will send an alert that CPR is needed and guide you to the scene displaying any AEDs in route. The app also provides CPR How-To and AED How-To instructions. Watch the PulsePoint Respond video here: https://www.pulsepoint.org/pulsepoint-respond.
The American Heart Association recommends “Hands Only” CPR as opposed to CPR with rescue breaths because there is typically enough oxygen in the blood to keep the brain and vital organs alive for up to eight minutes, the heart just needs to be stimulated through chest compressions or the use of an AED to circulate the oxygenated blood. Cover your own mouth and nose with a face mask and cover the person’s mouth and nose with a face mask or cloth to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Clay County Fire Rescue Chief David Motes said, “The brain and vital organs need oxygen restored rapidly after an SCA or permanent brain damage can occur within minutes. High-quality chest
compressions or defibrillation must be delivered within moments to offer the best possible outcome for those suffering SCA outside of the hospital. Clay County Fire Rescue’s partnership with PulsePoint will immediately alert bystanders of the need for help, so they can begin these life-saving actions while paramedics are in route.”
Clay County Fire Rescue is using the PulsePoint AED app to develop a county-wide, comprehensive registry of AEDs. Paramedics need the help of residents and business owners to locate and add these critical devices to the registry. The app walks you through the steps of searching for the device location, dropping a pin on the map, and adding a photo and description of the AED and its surroundings. Users can also help discover and report problems with devices already in the registry such as a closed business, restricted location, or if the AED is no longer present where shown– helping to keep the registry accurate and reliable. Once AEDs are registered and verified, their locations can be viewed by anyone using PulsePoint Respond. Video tutorials are available at https://www.pulsepoint.org/pulsepoint-aed/.
Clay County Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, Mike Cella said, “Many of our local businesses have AEDs available, but people may not know where to find them. PulsePoint will make sure we all know where to find these critical life-saving tools and alert bystanders when they are needed.” The chairman added, “You never know who will need fast access to an AED, it could be you.”
PulsePoint is a public, non-profit organization providing the application and hosted AED registry as part of its core mission to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. There is no charge to use the PulsePoint applications. Become a lifesaving volunteer and download PulsePoint today.
