Eugene-Springfield, Oregon Wins 2023 PulsePoint AED Contest

HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield receives a $5,000 grant for the purchase of public defibrillators.

Pleasanton, Calif. (November 21, 2023)—The PulsePoint Foundation, a public non-profit 501(c)(3), announced that HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield (OR) has won the 2023 PulsePoint AED Contest, winning a $5,000 grant to purchase AEDs (automated external defibrillators) for their community. HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield is a partner organization of Eugene Springfield Fire and PeaceHealth.

The contest took place during the month of October, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, and was eligible to any community using PulsePoint AED to locate and register AEDs. HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield collectively registered a record number of AEDs, 406, at locations throughout the city including schools, government buildings, local businesses and gyms. The newly registered AEDs are part of the 650 AEDs locally that are in the process of being vetted by public safety personnel so their location is available to emergency responders during cardiac emergencies. View this map to see all vetted AEDs registered through PulsePoint AED in Eugene-Springfield. To register additional AEDs download the free PulsePoint AED app or register them online at AED.new.

“Sudden cardiac arrest can cause devastating loss for individuals, families and communities,” said JoAnna Kamppi, chief of Eugene Springfield Fire. “We know that the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent for every minute that goes by without chest compressions (CPR). The more people who know how to do compression-only CPR and the more access the community has to AEDs, the more lives that will be saved.”

“The PulsePoint application is a vital component that helps the general public locate nearby AEDs at any time,” Kamppi said. “Part of becoming a HEARTsafe community is developing a web of safety over the community so that when cardiac arrest occurs, people can respond and make cardiac arrest a survivable event. It’s not one person that makes a difference, it’s a whole team of people, almost always strangers to each other. People can make a difference by simply knowing what to do and taking action when they are needed. We express our deepest gratitude to PulsePoint for their donation to purchase additional AEDs and our thanks to all the people who entered AEDs in the program during October/‘Shocktober’.”

Why Cataloging AED Locations is Crucial

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur annually in the U.S. making it a leading cause of death. Survival rates nationally for sudden cardiac arrest are less than 10 percent. However, cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from a publicly-available AED administered by a bystander prior to EMS arrival have 2-3 times better odds of survival to hospital discharge and more favorable outcomes. Without bystander AED use, 70 percent of cardiac arrest patients either die or survive with impaired brain function. Despite the life-saving potential of AEDs, they are of no value if they cannot be located and placed into service during a cardiac emergency.

About the PulsePoint Foundation
PulsePoint is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that builds applications for use by public safety agencies to increase community awareness during critical events. The PulsePoint Respond mobile app notifies trained individuals of the nearby need for CPR and the PulsePoint AED registry identifies AED (automated external defibrillator) locations for use by the public and 9-1-1 telecommunicators during emergency call taking. PulsePoint also provides specialized mobile apps for professional responders. Learn more at pulsepoint.org. The free app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.

About HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield

HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield is committed to making the Eugene-Springfield community a HEARTsafe Community. We are focused on increasing cardiac arrest survival rates through awareness, education, and partnering with organizations that further this mission. For questions email, HEARTsafe@peacehealth.org

Media Contacts

HEARTsafe Eugene Springfield
HEARTsafe@peacehealth.org

Shannon Smith, PulsePoint Foundation
(773) 339-7513
shannon@pulsepoint.org