Orland Park launches Pulse Point app for CPR emergencies

ORLAND, Ill. - Imagine if you or someone you know was having a heart attack and with the tap of a screen, you would be in contact with someone who knows emergency CPR.

That's the idea behind the Pulse Point app that has just been launched by the Orland Fire Protection District.

Pulse Point Respond is a smartphone app designed to support public safety agencies to improve survival from cardiac arrest. It allows everyday citizens who have been trained in the use of CPR to provide lifesaving assistance.

Those who sign up, along with EMS, are notified if someone nearby is having a cardiac emergency and may require CPR. The app also directs rescuers to the exact location of nearby AEDs.

The app is now in place with the Orland Fire Protection District.

"So for every minute that a person isn't breathing or has no pulse, their chances of survival go down 10 percent. So, with somebody coming up and being alerted, they could be next door, down the street, or shopping and getting there, you know, one or two minutes before the paramedics, that increases their chance of survival 20 percent," said Chief Mike Schofield, Orland Fire Protection District.

The south suburb decided to launch the program after learning about a similar one in Naperville. They encourage everyone who is trained in CPR to download the Pulse Point app, even if you don't live in the area.

They also encourage citizens to help them register as many Automated External Defibrillator (AED) locations so they can be used to help out in life-saving emergencies.