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Going Public: New App Looks To Pump Out Emergency Notifications For CPR-Certified Cape Residents

PulsePoint Foundation
A screenshot of a PulsePoint instructional video shows an alert on a user's smartphone.

Cape Girardeau residents will soon have the opportunity to receive a notification when someone goes into cardiac arrest in a nearby public space. The fire department has partnered with PulsePoint, an organization and app, to ensure those struck by such a medical emergency can receive CPR in a timely manner.

Fire Chief Travis Hollis says a lot of people think CPR is the “old mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions” when, in reality, receiving bystander CPR in less than a minute of a cardiac arrest increases a person’s chance of survival to 72%. That’s compared to a less-than-40% survival rate when CPR is received within seven to nine minutes.  

“The science behind it says that, if you're just pumping on someone’s chest, that is as effective or more effective than delivering mouth-to-mouth breaths from a bystander,” says Hollis.

 

Hollis says it’s currently not clear how many residents have CPR training, but the department is hoping to increase awareness about the new program to attract qualified citizens. 

“Locally, we’ll coordinate it with St. Francis and the PulsePoint Foundation,” Hollis says. 

PulsePoint will be available locally by the first quarter of next year.

 

 

Credit Lindsey Grojean/KRCU

Covering everything from education and politics to conservation efforts and health/science, nothing is off-limits on KRCU's Going Public. This locally-produced program provides a space for officials and community members to speak on the latest news in - and issues facing - the southeast Missouri region.