CPR app linked to Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatch system

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has linked its dispatch system to a smartphone app that will notify CPR-trained citizens when someone nearby is having a cardiac arrest.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday (http://lat.ms/1smEUbK ) that the app, called PulsePoint, sends Fire Department alerts to users at the same time that dispatchers send the official messages to emergency crews.

Department officials hope it will mean a cardiac arrest victim could get CPR from a good Samaritan before medical responders arrive.

The application also provides CPR instruction and the location of defibrillators.

Officials say about 13,000 people in Los Angeles County — mainly first responders and their friends and families — have downloaded the app.

It's linked to about 650 emergency response systems and has been adopted by several U.S. cities.

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com