Buzz
iOS/Android: Although most people who receive CPR training may never need to apply it, wouldn't it be reassuring to have the chance if someone collapsed at the restaurant next door while you're out for lunch? The Pulsepoint Respond app ensures that you can step in when your skills are needed.
Upon opening the app, you’ll be asked whether you'd like to receive notifications when someone requires CPR. The app is linked to a municipality's emergency services, so the alert is triggered only after 911 has been contacted, and only if the person needing help is in a public area. If you can get there before emergency responders, you can provide CPR in the interim.
The app also offers a handy refresher on hands-only CPR, complete with a button that plays the correct compression rhythm (100 or more per minute, similar to the tunes “Stayin’ Alive” and “Another One Bites the Dust”).
While waiting for a call, the app lets you virtually observe local emergencies: the home screen displays nearby emergency alerts, so if you hear a siren, you can check the app to see what's happening nearby. You’ll see a location along with a brief description like “vegetation fire” or “medical emergency.”
The app’s map also helps you find the nearest automated external defibrillators, user-friendly devices designed to detect cardiac arrhythmias and deliver shocks if necessary. Knowing where an AED is located can significantly increase the chances of survival in an emergency.
Currently, the app shows that the nearest AED is at an elementary school down the street, and there’s also one at a nearby grocery store. You can even add or update AED locations using a separate app, Pulsepoint AED.
Pulsepoint isn’t available everywhere, but it’s operational in hundreds of cities. The AED map works globally, though it may not always be complete.
