The McKean County Department of Emergency Services has just implemented a mobile app called PulsePoint that sends notifications of a person nearby who has suffered a cardiac emergency.
The PulsePoint app works with emergency services and dispatchers to send the notifications to those who subscribe to a certain area; locals who download the app can subscribe to McKean County.
In the event of an emergency, the app sends a notification to those nearby with a location of the emergency. Those with proper training can locate the emergency on their phone and respond to the scene.
Tracy Carl, director of emergency services for McKean County, said the county has just recently rolled out use of the app in McKean County after conducting several trials with the app.
“The app shows AEDs too,” Carl said. “If you were in Walmart, for example, PulsePoint will show an AED in the building.”
Carl added that AED locations can be added to the app.
“If you find an AED that is not on the list, you can take a picture of it and program it to let everyone know where an AED is in a building,” he said.
The director added there may be a competition in the future to see who can add the most AEDs to the app with the winner receiving a prize.
PulsePoint was acquired for McKean County by Highmark and Saint Vincent’s Health Center in Erie by way of a grant secured by Jestin Carlson, M.D., an ER physician at Saint Vincent’s. In addition to McKean County, PulsePoint will be implemented in Elk, Cameron, Jefferson, Clarion, Forest, Warren, and Crawford counties.
Carl noted that there are times when a cardiac emergency takes place but those around it don’t know it happened.
“We’ve had some people test it out so I think they’re still kicking the tires. If there was a cardiac arrest at a public event, you might not even know about it. But at least this app will let you know if there’s a cardiac arrest nearby,” said Carl.
A doctor, nurse or a paramedic may be off duty, but in the area and able to respond quickly.
“I think it’s more helpful to the people in the area of a cardiac arrest that have the training. They’ll have an opportunity to provide service. Emergency service is still going to go through our routine to dispatch EMS to the call,” Carl explained. “It’s one more opportunity to see a better outcome when time is precious.”
