Thanks to a generous donation of $17,642 from Carrollton-based manufacturing company Western Extrusions to the North Texas Emergency Communications Center (NTECC), Carrollton citizens trained in CPR will soon be able to respond to other residents experiencing a cardiac event through a free app called PulsePoint.
When NTECC receives a cardiac call, PulsePoint will search the area around the call and notify those with the app installed of the locations of both the incident and the nearest automatic external defibrillator (AED). The goal of the program is to fill the critical gap between the time NTECC is notified and when medics arrive.
“The City is grateful for Western Extrusions’ generous donation for this exciting opportunity to even further improve medical response in Carrollton and surrounding communities,” Carrollton Mayor Kevin Falconer said. “Our vision for Carrollton is to be the community that families and businesses want to call home. Our commitment to protecting the lives of our citizens continues to make Carrollton one of the safest places to live, work, and play, and the PulsePoint app will greatly benefit our citizens.”
Through the PulsePoint app, users will be able to report and update AED locations, so that when a cardiac call occurs, nearby citizens trained in CPR and off-duty firefighters, police officers, and nurses can locate the closest AED. All citizens will have to do once the program is launched is download the free app, describe the location, and snap a photo, and then the information is stored for Carrollton public safety authorities to verify. After that, the AED location data is made available to anyone using the app, as well as to NTECC dispatchers, allowing them to direct callers to the nearest life-saving devices.
“During a cardiac event, every second is critical, so a community-based response is vital in giving the patient the best chances at survival,” Rex Redden, Carrollton Executive Director of Public Safety, said.
Bennett McEvoy, Vice President of Sales for Western Extrusions, said the company chose to donate to the project because of its commitment to the community that it has called home for 40 years.
“Cardiac events are a pervasive risk, and this program has a lot to offer toward mitigating tragic outcomes,” McEvoy said. “Western Extrusions is excited to support NTECC in their partnership with PulsePoint in order to help make this community even safer for those who live and work here.”
The implementation of the PulsePoint program to interface with NTECC’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system is underway and will benefit those in all four of the entities NTECC serves (the cities of Carrollton, Coppell, and Farmers Branch, as well as the Town of Addison). PulsePoint has also been implemented in other DFW cities such as Grapevine and Plano. The program has an estimated launch date of October 1 for the Metrocrest area.
Carrollton Fire Rescue also offers CPR/AED classes to train citizens to save a life. Classes are offered on the first and third Saturdays of each month at Crosby Recreation Center (1610 E. Crosby Road), as well as to local businesses and schools by appointment. To register for a Saturday class date, visit cityofcarrollton.com/signupnow. For more information or to schedule a workplace or school training, call 972-466-4901.
To learn more about the PulsePoint system and watch a video of the app in action, visit pulsepoint.org. For more information about Carrollton’s continual public safety efforts, visit cityofcarrollton.com/fire or cityofcarrollton.com/police.
