has joined recent adopters of a smartphone app aimed at improving survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest.
alerts citizens and medical professionals trained in CPR to nearby emergencies and connects them with individuals who may need assistance. The app also indicates the location of the nearest automated external defibrillator — AED — in the event one is needed to restore normal heart rhythm with an electrical shock.
Phones using the app will sound an alert if the user is within a quarter-mile radius of the distressed person and points the way to the closest AED. About 1,000 people die each day of cardiac arrest, and bystander CPR can double or triple the chances of survival, according to the American Heart Association. But only about one-fourth of victims receive the procedure.
South Metro Fire Rescue also recently launched the service in their district.
West Metro serves more than 280,000 residents across Jefferson and Douglas counties as well as several cities and towns.
“Improving bystander CPR rates and access to AEDs is critical to survival,” said Jeremy Metz, West Metro’s EMS division chief. “We have thousands of trained, potential ‘first responders’ in our district. This app gives them the opportunity to help us save lives.”
