Physio-Control and PulsePoint Join Forces to Expand Citizen CPR and AED Response

Partnership will accelerate use of PulsePoint mobile app to help improve sudden cardiac arrest survival

PulsePoint CPR/AED smartphone app (Photo: Business Wire)

EMS World Expo 2013

REDMOND, Wash. & PLEASANTON, Calif.--()--Physio-Control, the leading provider of emergency medical response technologies worldwide, and the PulsePoint Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing mobile technologies to help everyday citizens save lives, today announced that the two organizations have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at improving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival in communities around the world. The partnership seeks to meet the growing public safety agency demand for the PulsePoint CPR/AED mobile phone application and to expand citizen responder cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and public access automated external defibrillator (AED) networks.

The novel PulsePoint app alerts CPR-trained citizens by smartphone of SCA emergencies in their proximity and provides the location of the nearest public access AEDs. Deployment of the PulsePoint app can significantly strengthen the “chain of survival” by improving bystander response to SCA victims and increasing the chance that lifesaving steps will be taken prior to the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals.

“Physio-Control’s mission of providing lifesaving tools to lifesaving teams aligns very well with ours,” said Richard Price, president, PulsePoint Foundation. “Their extensive experience working with the EMS community provides a tremendous platform from which to meet the growing demand for PulsePoint and ultimately improve the frequency of bystander CPR and AED deployments in more communities.”

Through the partnership, Physio-Control will collaborate with the PulsePoint Foundation to expand availability of PulsePoint to public safety agencies worldwide. Physio-Control will promote PulsePoint to public safety agencies through its global sales and service teams and expand on PulsePoint’s capabilities for system implementation and support.

“New mobile health tools are engaging the public in profound ways. I can think of no more important use of mobile technology than empowering citizens to save a life,” said Brian Webster, president and CEO, Physio-Control, Inc. “PulsePoint’s solution fits perfectly with our focus on improving the system of care and I’m confident that increased frequency of bystander CPR and AED use will have a positive impact on sudden cardiac arrest survival rates.”

PulsePoint has garnered national attention and received notable recognition for its innovative use of technology to help save lives, including a 2012 International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) Webby Award nomination for the Best Use of GPS or Location Technology and winning the 2011 International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire Service Global Award for Excellence.

Today at EMS World Expo 2013 in Las Vegas, PulsePoint debuted a completely redesigned and extended version of the app, including significant usability enhancements and a new distinctive user interface.

The PulsePoint smartphone app is available to the public free of charge for Apple iOS and Google Android devices from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Public safety agencies interested in learning more about implementing PulsePoint in their communities should contact their local Physio-Control representative or call 800-442-1142.

About sudden cardiac arrest

SCA is a leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 325,000 deaths each year/1,000 deaths per day. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. However, only about one quarter of SCA victims receive bystander CPR and even fewer receive a potentially lifesaving therapeutic shock from a public access AED. Improving bystander CPR rates and access to AEDs is critical to survival.

About Physio-Control

Physio-Control, Inc. is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company operates in over 100 countries and is the world’s leading provider of professional emergency medical response solutions that predict or intervene in life-threatening emergencies. To learn more visit www.physio-control.com, or connect with us at www.facebook.com/physiocontrolinc, www.linkedin.com/company/physio-control-inc- or @PhysioControl.

About the PulsePoint Foundation

PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its mission is to make it much easier for citizens who are trained in CPR to use their life saving skills to do just that…save lives! Through the use of modern, location-aware mobile devices PulsePoint is building applications that work with local public safety agencies to improve communications with citizens and empower them to help reduce the millions of annual deaths from sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more at www.pulsepoint.org or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/PulsePoint and @PulsePoint.

Contacts

Physio-Control
Jennifer Roth, 425-867-4393
jennifer.m.roth@physio-control.com
or
Erik Denny, 425-867-4208
erik.b.denny@physio-control.com
or
PulsePoint Foundation
Richard Price
richard.price@pulsepoint.org

Release Summary

Physio-Control and PulsePoint partner to meet growing public safety agency demand for the PulsePoint CPR/AED smartphone app and improve citizen bystander response to sudden cardiac arrest victims.

Contacts

Physio-Control
Jennifer Roth, 425-867-4393
jennifer.m.roth@physio-control.com
or
Erik Denny, 425-867-4208
erik.b.denny@physio-control.com
or
PulsePoint Foundation
Richard Price
richard.price@pulsepoint.org