Startingt his week, residents in the cities of San Gabriel, San Marino and South Pasadena can now sign up for the life-saving mobile app PulsePoint Respond.

PulsePoint notifies subscribers when someone in a public place near them suffers a sudden cardiac arrest and is in need of CPR. The alert tells the user the address, location or business name and shows a dynamic map so they can easily find the person in need of help. The notification is sent to the app at the same time as emergency responders are dispatched to the incident.

Users can customize the app to control the type of notifications they receive. And those that are proficient in using an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) can add the skill to their profile and be notified of the nearest AED to their location.

The idea of the app is to empower local residents to help save a person’s life by performing CPR in the crucial moments before emergency responders arrive. Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a leading cause of death in the U.S., killing nearly 1,000 people a day. Survival rates nationally for those who suffer Sudden Cardiac Arrest are less than eight percent. More than half of U.S. adults have had training in CPR and most say they would be willing to use it to help a stranger. The app can help bridge the gap between those that are ready to help and those that need it, increasing chances of survival.

In addition to helping save lives of those suffering sudden cardiac arrests, the PulsePoint app also aims to increase transparency and community engagement by allowing users to see a real-time log of all the incidents in the community to which fire personnel are dispatched.

The PulsePoint app has been implemented in communities across the nation, with successful results, including many cities in Southern California.

For more information and to download the app, visit www.pulsepoint.org.