A New App that could save lives is now available in Fairbanks

The Interior Fire Chiefs Association with the help of the Rotary Club of Fairbanks launched the PulsePoint Respond app on Thursday. The launch event took place in the bay of the Warren B. Cummings Fire Station Headquarters in Downtown Fairbanks. Rotary Club members, along with firefighters representing the multiple fire houses listened as speakers celebrated the life-saving app. Subscribers of the free app who have indicated they have CPR training will be notified if someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The app also directs these potential rescuers to the exact location of the closest A-E-D. PulsePoint Respond is the first and only app of its kind to be used in the state and is only active in Fairbanks. University Fire Chief Doug Schrage said other city officials are already asking him about the program. “Fairbanks is Alaska's first PulsePoint connected community. And we think that once people learn from our experience, they become familiar with it across the state of Alaska, other communities will want to implement PulsePoint, as well,” Schrage said. During the launch the app was tested with Rotarians, city officials, and firefighters. An alert was sent and a few seconds later, cell phones were ringing and chiming alerting the app subscribers of an emergency. PulsePoint Respond also has a free companion app called PulsePoint AED that lets a subscriber report and update AED locations so that emergency responders, including nearby citizens, can find the nearest AED close to them.

Installation of PulsePoint was made possible by a grant from the Rotary Club of Fairbanks and the RCF Donor Advised Fund. The Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation’s contribution to the program will be payment of the first year’s annual maintenance fee.