GREATER SUDBURY — A phone app that originated in the U.S. is going to be used in Greater Sudbury to save lives.
A former fire chief in California developed PulsePoint in 2010. He got the idea during dinner at a restaurant when someone next door went into cardiac arrest.
The app is aimed at people who have CPR training. Once installed, it alerts them if someone nearby goes into what's called sudden cardiac arrest – their heart stops beating. The app connects users to the city's emergency dispatch system, meaning they will be able to intervene before EMS personnel arrives.
Dr. Douglas Boreham, division head of medical sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, said quick action is needed when someone is in sudden cardiac arrest — not only to save someone's life, but to prevent brain damage.
“Your heart has stopped and you need help fast,” Boreham told members of the city's community services committee Monday.
“Time is of the essence … For every minute that passes, sudden cardiac arrest survival rates decrease by 7-10 per cent.”
In the last six years, 1,110 communities in the U.S. have started using PulsePoint, with more than 150,000 participants.
Greater Sudbury would be the second Canadian city to begin using the app; Kingston became the first last year.
Not only are the CPR-trained responders alerted in an emergency, Boreham said PulsePoint helps them respond.
“It also shows people where they can find defibrillators,” he said. “So it allows the bystander to act before emergency responders get there.”
And because it's an app, it travels with you. It alerts users to emergencies anywhere in North America where the software is being used.
Bringing the system to Sudbury would mean a one-time startup cost of $10,000, plus an $8,000 annual fee to renew the license.
Joseph Nicholls, the city's deputy chief of emergency services, said the app can be more effective since public access to defibrillators has grown. There are about 120 in different spots across Greater Sudbury.
A public education campaign would be undertaken to educate the public on signing up and using PulsePoint, he said.
There are also legal protections in place for people who try to revive people in sudden cardiac arrest.
Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre, a former paramedic, said he knows first-hand how important early intervention is for survival rates.
“I can't tell you how important this is for the city,” Lapierre said.
“We need more people doing CPR and chest compressions to maintain the airflow to the brain. Their chances of survival greatly, greatly increases.”
The committee unanimously approved the plan, authorizing EMS officials to sign agreements with PulsePoint and begin a public education campaign.
For more information, go to PulsePoint.org. Sudbury.com will update this story as new information becomes available.
