CPR app linked to LA County dispatch system

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has linked its dispatch system to a smartphone app that will notify CPR-trained citizens when someone nearby is having a cardiac arrest.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that the app, called PulsePoint, sends Fire Department alerts to users at the same time that dispatchers send the official messages to emergency crews.

Department officials hope it will mean a cardiac arrest victim could get CPR from a good Samaritan before medical responders arrive.

The application also provides CPR instruction and the location of defibrillators.

Officials say about 13,000 people in Los Angeles County—mainly first responders and their friends and families—have downloaded the app.

It's linked to about 650 emergency response systems and has been adopted by several U.S. cities.