The new free service notifies trained Danville community members when someone nearby is in cardiac arrest, helping start CPR and locate an AED

By Charles Wilborn
Danville Register & Bee

DANVILLE, Va. — The Danville Fire Department last week launched a service that allows community members trained in CPR to respond to nearby cardiac arrest situations while emergency crews rush to the scene.

The department teamed up with the Danville Emergency Communications Center for PulsePoint Respond, which is a free mobile app.

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“Sudden cardiac arrest can happen without warning at home, at work or out in public,” Ryan Campbell, deputy chief with the Danville Fire Department, said in a video to launch the program.

“And when it happens, every minute without CPR or an AED dramatically reduces the chance of survival,” he continued. “In cardiac arrest response, seconds matter.”

The Danville Fire Department acts as first responders, meaning firefighters are dispatched to medical situations, along with the Danville Life Saving Crew.

Of the more than 8,000 calls answered last year, 49 were cardiac arrests. Often confused with a heart attack, cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops beating.

Without CPR — cardiopulmonary resuscitation — damage to the brain or death can happen in a matter of minutes.

“The fastest help often comes from the general public who are already nearby,” Campbell said.

The app allows subscribers — who are trained in CPR and willing to help — to receive a notification if there’s a cardiac arrest call nearby.

If it happens in a public place, the app will alert users that a victim is in the vicinity while emergency officials are dispatched. It can also point out the location of an AED — automated external defibrillator — a small portable device that delivers a shock to restart the heart.

“This is a simple step that can make a real difference,” Campbell explained. The faster CPR begins, the less likely for severe brain damage or death.

The PulsePoint Respond also goes over what to do while waiting for the emergency responders to arrive.

PulsePoint is a nonprofit foundation that builds applications to help public service agencies.

“In addition to CPR-needed alerts, PulsePoint provides increased situational awareness by giving users a real-time view of emergency activity in the community,” he wrote in a statement.

“For residents, it is a way to stay informed,” Campbell said. “For trained responders, it is an opportunity to help when seconds matter.”

CPR training is available through the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross and other local training providers.

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