Free mobile apps alert CPR-trained residents to nearby cardiac emergencies and help locate lifesaving equipment
FORT WORTH, Texas — When someone suffers cardiac arrest, the first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. In Fort Worth, residents with CPR training could help save a life before paramedics even arrive.
The city is encouraging residents to use PulsePoint, a free mobile app that alerts people trained in CPR when someone nearby is experiencing a cardiac emergency.
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The idea is simple: Get help to someone in cardiac arrest as quickly as possible, even before first responders reach the scene.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. Immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chances of survival.
How does PulsePoint work?
The program uses two mobile apps that help connect residents with emergencies and lifesaving equipment.
The first, PulsePoint Respond, alerts CPR-trained users who have volunteered to help when someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest in a nearby public location.
When appropriate, the app sends an alert at the same time emergency crews are dispatched, giving nearby residents a chance to begin CPR before paramedics arrive.
The app also shows users where to find the closest registered automated external defibrillator, or AED, a device that can help restore a normal heart rhythm during certain cardiac emergencies.
The second app, PulsePoint AED, helps people locate and register AEDs throughout the community.
The program is expanding through the National Emergency AED + Resource (NEAR) Registry, which also tracks other emergency supplies, including bleeding control kits, epinephrine and naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
Businesses, organizations and residents can register equipment so it can be located quickly during an emergency.
AED owners and designated responders can also receive alerts when a cardiac arrest occurs nearby, giving them an opportunity to bring the equipment to the scene.
The registry can even help 911 dispatchers locate nearby lifesaving equipment and direct people to it.
Why every minute matters
Sudden cardiac arrest happens when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping blood effectively. It’s different from a heart attack, which occurs when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked.
Without immediate treatment, a person experiencing cardiac arrest can suffer permanent brain damage or die within minutes.
CPR helps keep blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until emergency crews arrive.
That’s where PulsePoint comes in. By alerting people who are already nearby, the program gives trained bystanders a chance to act during those critical first minutes.
How to get the apps
Both apps are free and available for Apple and Android devices.
Residents can also use PulsePoint Respond to follow local public safety agencies and receive alerts about significant emergencies in their communities.
For those who don’t know CPR, the Fort Worth Fire Department offers CPR and first aid training opportunities.