Saint Francis Foundation is partnering with the City of Cape Girardeau Police and Fire Departments to launch the lifesaving PulsePoint app in Cape Girardeau. The free mobile app alerts citizens trained in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when someone in a nearby public place suffers cardiac arrest. Public safety communication operators send alerts through the app at the same time they dispatch first responders to the scene. The app also notifies users of the closest available automated external defibrillator (AED).
Saint Francis Foundation received a grant of $90,000 through American College of Cardiology to implement PulsePoint in our community. The grant helped facilitate the time-intensive task of mapping existing AEDs in Cape Girardeau. It will cover the purchase of 30 additional AEDs to fill gaps in the community and provide life-saving education. Ongoing maintenance for this project will be funded by the Saint Francis Foundation.
The free PulsePoint mobile app empowers members of the public to provide life-saving assistance to victims of sudden cardiac arrest until medical aid arrives. When there is a cardiac event, the app sounds an alert similar to an Amber Alert, and those in the vicinity can respond.
“PulsePoint represents our effort to enhance early heart attack care. When treatment is given sooner, the chances of recovery are greatly improved,” said Monica Pfau, RN, grant project director, Saint Francis Foundation.
“There are approximately 85 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the City of Cape Girardeau each year. PulsePoint is a great tool for alerting users of the app of a nearby incident with the goal of initiating early CPR and use of the AED. Those actions alone can increase the victim’s chances of surviving by nearly 45 percent,” said Dustin Koerber, Battalion Chief, Cape Girardeau Fire Department.
For more information or to download the free app, go to PulsePoint.org.
