VIDEO: Burlington firefighters are fast, but when a life is on the line, every second counts. “In that first couple of minutes, having CPR can make a big difference between life and death,” said Burlington Fire Chief Dan Laine. Case in point: the Burlington Costco a few weeks ago when a Camano Island man collapsed in full cardiac arrest. Costco workers called 911 and performed CPR, but it was an off-duty firefighter from Idaho who came to the rescue thanks to a cellphone app called Pulse Point.
Pulse Point uses 911 calls to alert a data bank of civilians trained in CPR to respond to emergencies in their vicinity. The goal is to get care to people faster. So far, it’s working. Since the roll out in Skagit County last summer, three of the four calls Pulse Point volunteers have responded to have saved lives. “Unfortunately, they don’t all have a positive outcome, but as an EMS system, our goal is to give everyone their best chance at a good outcome,” said Josh Pelonio, Skagit County’s director of Emergency Medical Services.
Burlington firefighters got to the Costco scene in six minutes, but Pulse Point got help there is half that time. “Every minute that somebody goes in cardiac arrest without CPR or defibrillation their chance of survival decreases seven to ten percent,” remarked Pelonio. EMS officials say with populations rising and manpower stretched thin, Pulse Point is a much needed and appreciated partner. “We need more people to do this. Having people engage early who do that first 6 to 8 minutes while we’re getting there is critical for a live saving event,” said Chief Laine.
