On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that D.C. will roll out a smartphone app that’s designed to save lives called Pulsepoint. The app, already in use in communities throughout the country, will send smartphone notifications to CPR-trained individuals to alert them if a cardiac arrest is reported to 911 in their area. Here’s why this app is a big deal, and how tech is playing a role in modernizing the District’s emergency response system.

How does it work?

When a heart attack is called into 911, notifications will be immediately sent to CPR-trained individuals who have the app and are within a quarter of a mile of the scene. By allowing life-saving aid to be performed before the first responders arrive, the app aims to dramatically improve survival rates of heart attack victims.

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