Honolulu EMS Brings Lifesaving Technology to the Island via PulsePoint, a 9-1-1 Integrated Mobile App

PulsePoint Respond empowers CPR-trained citizens and off-duty professionals to provide critical assistance to cardiac arrest victims

HONOLULU, February 22, 2017 - Today, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department (HONEMS) joined the PulsePoint Foundation and CTIA Wireless Foundation to bring life-saving technology to Oahu via the PulsePoint Respond app. The event was held at the Nu'uanu YMCA in Honolulu and was highlighted by messages from Senator Mazie Hirono, Honolulu City and County Managing Director Roy Amemiya, Honolulu EMS Chief Dean Nakano and CTIA Wireless Foundation Executive Director Athena Polydorou. The speakers detailed the benefits of the mobile app, which alerts CPR-trained citizens of cardiac events in their vicinity so they may administer aid.

The app also notifies users of the closest available Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Early application of bystander CPR and rapid defibrillation from an AED have proven to be crucial in improving a person’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). PulsePoint is not limited to emergency responders or those with official CPR certification, as it can be used by anyone who has been trained in CPR.

“We are proud to be the first agency in Hawaii to implement PulsePoint,” said Nakano. “It gives our residents and visitors the ability to know when a cardiac arrest is occurring close by, to respond quickly and to attempt potentially lifesaving CPR while our paramedics respond to the scene.”

The PulsePoint app also provides users with an active display of all local AEDs. On average, Honolulu EMS responds to 250 daily calls for service; including more than 700 cardiac arrest events annually.

“By directly alerting those who are qualified and nearby, possibly in the business next door or on the floor above, PulsePoint is able to put the right people in the right place at the right time,” said Richard Price, President of the California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit PulsePoint Foundation.

The latest AHA guidelines, published in Circulation, state that such community programs could increase bystander CPR to the roughly 326,000 cardiac arrests that happen outside the hospital each year.

“The project expands PulsePoint coverage to the City and County of Honolulu and the 950,000 Oahu residents over an area of 597 square miles,” said Nakano.

“Mobile technology has transitioned from a luxury to a necessity, and the PulsePoint app exemplifies how wireless can help save lives,” said Polydorou. “By implementing this and other vital Smart City technology, Honolulu is making its residents safer and more connected. CTIA Wireless Foundation applauds those efforts and is proud to sponsor the deployment of PulsePoint, bringing this life-saving service to the people of Honolulu at no cost to Honolulu EMS.”

The free PulsePoint app is available for iPhone and Android and can be downloaded from the iTunes Store and Google Play.

About Honolulu EMS

The mission of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services is to provide quality emergency medical care to residents and visitors of Oahu, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our philosophy is "'O Ka Mea Ma'i Ka Mua" or "The person sick is first." The EMS division is led by Chief Dean Nakano employed with 140 paramedics and 108 emergency medical technicians who serve the City and County of Honolulu. The island is divided into three divisions which include 20 EMS stations. Each year EMS responds to over 90,000 calls and transports over 60,000 patients.

About the PulsePoint Foundation

PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through the use of location-aware mobile devices, PulsePoint is building applications that work with local public safety agencies to improve communications with citizens, empowering them to help reduce the millions of annual deaths from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Deployment of the PulsePoint app can significantly strengthen the “chain of survival” by improving bystander response to cardiac arrest victims and increasing the chance that lifesaving steps will be taken prior to the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS). PulsePoint is built and maintained by volunteer engineers at Workday and distributed by our marketing and implementation partner Physio-Control, Inc. CTIA Wireless Foundation is a key sponsor and advocate of PulsePoint, providing industry and financial support. Learn more at www.pulsepoint.org or join the conversation at Facebook and Twitter. The free app is available for download on iTunes and Google Play. (we will include links)

About CTIA Wireless Foundation

CTIA Wireless Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to developing and supporting initiatives that use wireless technology to enhance American communities. Its innovative programs leverage mobile technology to provide consumer benefits in two key areas: health and safety. The Foundation was formed by CTIA® member companies in 1991. Learn more at www.wirelessfoundation.org.

About Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Although a heart attack can lead to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the two are not the same. SCA is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly, whereas a heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, but the heart continues to beat. Each year, more than 420,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur, making it the leading cause of death in the United States. Survival rates nationally for SCA are less than eight percent, but delivery of CPR can sustain life until paramedics arrive by maintaining vital blood flow to the heart and brain. However, only about a third of SCA victims receive bystander CPR. Without CPR, brain damage or death can occur in minutes. The average EMS response time is nine minutes, even in urban settings; after 10 minutes there is little chance of successful resuscitation. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after SCA, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

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Contact:

Honolulu EMS: Shayne Enright, (808) 777-9608

PulsePoint: Shannon Smith, (773) 339-7513

CTIA: Jilane Rodgers Petrie, (202) 736-3245