Poudre Fire Authority offers CPR, AED training

Survival rates drop by ten percent for every minute a victim of sudden cardiac arrest waits for CPR. From 4-6 minutes, brain damage occurs, with few resuscitation attempts succeeding after 10 minutes.

Now, technology can help citizens trained in CPR and automatic external defibrillator (AED) use can become heroes through Pulse Point, an innovative, free smart phone app. Citizen responders are notified when there is a 911 call on a SCA and directed to the location. The nearest publicly accessible AED is also shown.

Through a coalition consisting of the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University, Poudre Fire Authority and University of Colorado Health, hands-only CPR, AED use and app downloading training will be made available at several local venues including New West Festival on August 15 to 17 in Downtown Fort Collins, the Peach Festival on August 23 at Hughes Stadium and the annual Emergency Preparedness & Family Safety Expo on September 6 at The Ranch in Loveland.

Another free educational opportunity will be citizen CPR trainers scheduling training sessions at local businesses throughout the summer and fall to educate staff and employees.

The efficacy of the app is determined by community involvement — get trained in CPR and sign up to receive the Pulse Point alerts. Additional certification CPR training is available through the American Heart Association and American Red Cross.

Download the app through Google play or Apple app store. Additionally, there is a Pulse Point AED app, which allows the public to register locations of publically accessible AEDs. There will be a contest with prizes such as agency T-shirts, ball caps and lanyards.