Lifesaving. There’s an app for that.
Would you reach out to save a life? Do you own a smartphone?
The better question these days is who doesn’t? Approximately 65 percent of all Americans carry a smartphone, and those numbers continue to rise as younger generations reach maturity. Everyone uses theirs in their own way: To monitor breakings news, manage your social media accounts, stay connected to the office, or to play Candy Crush.
There are lifesaving tools available
If you ask yourself what your smartphone does for your safety, your mind immediately jumps to the idea that you can call 911 from virtually anywhere. You have some awareness that your phone is location-enabled and so maybe that helps when you call 911? But you have to admit you are starting to get a little bit fuzzy on the technical details and really just want to get back to Facebook and Candy Crush. You’ll call 911 if there’s a problem, and sort it out from there. But your phone is capable of much more.
Some free applications are available that might have an impact on your safety. Take a look at LifeLine Response, which lets you use your phone as a panic button. SaveMePro was developed by a 12 year old after a kidnapping in his town; it allows you to send an emergency message to family by tapping the power button! My personal favorite is Life360, which shares the exact location of everyone in your circle in real time. The deal I’ve made with my teenage son: I pay for the phone, you keep Life360 running. It’s a fair trade.
We can take community lifesaving to the next level!
Our communities have invested enormous resources in training citizens to perform CPR and apply an automated external defibrillator. We are ready, willing and able to help when a heart stops beating! Early bystander CPR is a critical link in the a chain of survival for those who suffer cardiac arrest. In many parts of Snohomish and King Counties, Washington, the measured survival rate for witnessed cardiac arrest is exceeding 60%! Many think we are approaching the limits of what is achievable, but there is more to be done.
Enter location-based CPR notifications via PulsePoint. There is now a technology available through your smartphone which notifies users of someone nearby who needs CPR, and will then guide you to the victim. It will also tell you where the closest defibrillator is. This is the next step in improving community lifesaving:
How does PulsePoint work? Currently when the 911 center receives a notification of cardiac arrest, they dispatch EMS via a computer aided dispatch system (CAD). PulsePoint simply inserts a computer server at the dispatch center which also receives the CAD data and simultaneously activates the PulsePoint software when needed. PulsePoint locates the cardiac arrest victim and then locates users near the victim to notify them of the arrest. Users who receive the notification decide if they are able to respond. It is already saving lives in some parts of the country.
How do we make it happen? PulsePoint isn’t free, and the costs are borne by the dispatch centers. Fees are structured around the number of population served and renew annually. For a county of 750,000 residents the cost is approximately $18,000 per year.
The only way to make this happen is through community involvement. Here’s what you can do to bring PulsePoint to our community:
1. Share this story with your friends and neighbors.
2. Contact your local media, and ask that they raise awareness about PulsePoint.
3. Contact your local Fire Chief and share this story with them, ask that they support PulsePoint at your 911 center.
4. Contact your local 911 center, and ask that they install PulsePoint.
5. Contact your local elected officials, and ask that they support PulsePoint.
For most dispatch centers, the cost is real, but relatively small. Public fundraising campaigns have been used in some communities to cover the startup costs, but the reality is this software needs to become a fundamental part of all 911 centers operations. Check out this great save in Spokane!!!
Please support our community health by asking for this lifesaving tool!
Check out some of our other articles below or on our main page:
Soccer Moms Kick Ass at Counter Terrorism
Every Day Heroes: The Maryland National Guard
Popular Security (PopSec) is a platform where multi-disciplinary professionals across federal, law enforcement, military, fire service, and emergency management fields discuss current trends and issues in the field of Homeland Security.
