HELP US BUILD OUR SALEM AED REGISTRY AND YOU COULD WIN $500!
PulsePoint Foundation Contest Encourages Communities to Identify and Register AED’s
(Salem, OR), Oct. 7, 2021 —This October, during Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, the non-profit PulsePoint Foundation is rewarding communities for identifying and registering AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators).
Salem Fire Foundation uses PulsePoint AED to register locations of AED’s that are accessible to citizens trained in CPR and off-duty professionals.
In the case of a witnessed sudden cardiac incident, if someone calls 911, instead of asking a caller if there is an AED available, dispatch center staff can inform callers of nearby, registered lifesaving devices. PulsePoint AED is a simple-to-use app that enables Salem to help build the public AED registry.
One of the Salem Fire Foundation’s (SFF) goals has been to place easily accessible AED’s strategically throughout the community. Since its founding in 2015, the SFF has placed 185 units in local businesses and 139 AEDs in Salem/Keizer police cars and public works vehicles.
Each AED registered now through Oct. 31 will gain citizens an entry to win one of ten $500 Amazon gift cards. If Salem registers the most AEDs, the city will be granted $5,000 worth of new AEDs to provide to public safety staff or place in underserved parts of the community.
AEDs must be registered through the free PulsePoint AED app or online at AED.new. After verification by Salem Fire Department those AEDs are then added to the PulsePoint AED Registry to be shared with bystanders and 911 dispatchers during a cardiac emergency. The globally accessible PulsePoint AED Registry currently includes more than 115,000 AEDs.
Visit www.pulsepoint.org/aedcontest to download helpful resources and review the complete list of contest rules.
Why Cataloging AED Locations is Crucial
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur annually in the U.S. making it a leading cause of death. Survival rates nationally for sudden cardiac arrest are less than 10 percent. However, cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from a publicly-available AED (automated external defibrillator) administered by a bystander prior to EMS arrival have 2-3 times better odds of survival to hospital discharge and more favorable outcomes. Without bystander AED use, 70 percent of cardiac arrest patients either die or survive with impaired brain function. Despite the life-saving potential of AEDs, they are of no value if they cannot be located and placed into service during a cardiac emergency.
About the PulsePoint Foundation
PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) public non-profit foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through the use of location-aware mobile devices, PulsePoint is building applications that work with local public safety agencies to improve communications with citizens and professional emergency responders, increase civic engagement and encourage the community to help reduce the millions of annual deaths from sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more at pulsepoint.org or join the conversation at Facebook and Twitter. The free app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
About the Salem Fire Foundation: The Salem Fire Foundation (SFF) is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 dedicated to assisting the Salem Fire Department to achieve its core mission of saving lives through the funding of the following programs: Community Outreach and Engagement in CPR and AED Training, Employee Recognition and Development, Fire Prevention and Risk Awareness, Service Enhancements, Assistance for Injured Firefighters and their Families, and Special Projects. To learn more, visit salemfirefoundation.org or call 503-371-7457
