Vegas FD Partners with PulsePoint to Improve CPR Access

The city of Las Vegas has partnered with the non-profit PulsePoint Foundation to provide a free app that sends an alert to a person when they are within 200 yards of someone in a public place who needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The release of the app coincides with the city’s Emergency Preparedness Month efforts.

“The idea behind the app is that it can get someone trained in CPR to someone suffering a cardiac event while first responders are on the way,” said Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Chief William McDonald. “We know that the quicker you start CPR the better the chances that a cardiac victim will recover.”

The app uses call information as it comes into dispatchers and then provides a map on the user’s phone showing where the users are and how to get to the cardiac victim. The app also shows where the nearest automatic external defibrillator is located.

The app also allows citizens to hear operators dispatching emergency calls to first responders, just like what can be heard on scanners.

PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation committed to making it easier for citizen trained in CPR to use their life-saving skills.

The cost of having the app available for use by citizens in Las Vegas is approximately $10,000. Las Vegas Fire and Rescue provides CPR training to the community at no charge, and has recently been concentrating on a “hands-only” version that is easy to learn and very popular.

For more information on CPR training contact Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Public Education and Information Officer Tim Szymanski at 229-0331.

The PulsePoint App is part of the city of Las Vegas’ participation in National Preparedness Month.

KCLV Channel 2, the city of Las Vegas government access television station, will air an emergency preparedness special this month, beginning Sept. 11.

In addition, the city of Las Vegas Office of Emergency Management has upcoming Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training that is free to residents.

Available CERT courses and registration is at www.nvcert.org/Home. The city of Las Vegas is spreading the word about emergency preparedness by sharing daily emergency tips on the city’s emergency communication Twitter account.

Additionally, the city has launched a Tumblr page that will highlight how to prepare for different types of emergencies and how the city plans for major events to ensure public safety. The city of Las Vegas offers emergency information at www.lvalert.com.