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Receive a presentation on the launch of PulsePoint, a public safety alert system for CPR-trained individuals available to respond to nearby emergencies
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Sheriff and Chief Deputy Health Officer recommend that the Board of Supervisors receive a presentation on PulsePoint, a public safety alert system for CPR-trained individuals available to respond to nearby emergencies.
SUMMARY:
On June 1, 2025, Solano County launched PulsePoint, a mobile and desktop app that alerts CPR-trained individuals (called "responders") to nearby emergencies. By notifying subscribers in the immediate vicinity of a cardiac arrest, PulsePoint often enables lifesaving measures to begin before emergency crews arrive, improving overall chances of survival. Additionally, the platform offers tools to build, manage, and deploy a comprehensive AED registry.
Every second counts during a cardiac arrest, and lives can be saved when individuals know how to perform CPR and use an AED, according to the American Red Cross. Solano County averages 340 cardiac arrest incidents each year, underscoring the importance of tools like PulsePoint.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact to the General Fund for the Board to receive this presentation.
The cost for PulsePoint is tiered based on population size. Initial implementation costs of the system included a one-time cost for both SunRidge (CAD provider) and PulsePoint totaling $33,800. The ongoing annual maintenance costs are $10,500 for PulsePoint and $1,500 for SunRidge totaling $12,000 annually. The Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services used 2022 and 2023 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds to fund the implementation costs and 2024 EMPG funds to fund the upcoming annual subscription. It is anticipated that EMPG funds will continue to fund the ongoing annual subscription costs; however, EMPG is a federally funded grant program and in the event this grant program is no longer supported or reduced by the federal government, alternative funding would need to be sought to continue utilizing the software.
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Sheriff’s FY2024/25 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
In the United States, more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest annually, yet only 11% survive. Every minute without immediate CPR and AED use decreases the chance of survival by 10%. Since its startup in 2010, PulsePoint has expanded its capabilities and community reach from only supporting incidents occurring in public spaces to now alerting vetted responders to emergencies in residential settings, where over 70% of cardiac arrests occur.
The platform is separated into two mobile and desktop apps:
PulsePoint Respond: Notifies users of cardiac arrest incidents and allows them to respond.
PulsePoint AED: Allows authorized users to build and manage a registry of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the county.
PulsePoint allows users to voluntarily opt in to receive real-time notifications about nearby emergency activity. These users are grouped into one or more of the following Responder categories:
• Public CPR Responders: These are members of the public trained in CPR and AED use. They are only notified of cardiac arrest incidents in nearby public spaces. To protect privacy, they do not receive alerts for incidents occurring in private residences.
• Registered CPR Responders: These are community members with medical or emergency training, such as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, off-duty public safety personnel, or healthcare professionals, who have been invited by an account administrator. They are alerted to all nearby cardiac arrest incidents, including those in private homes, where nearly 70% of such events occur.
• Professional Responders: These are on-duty public safety employees (firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement) who are granted enhanced app capabilities for operational use. When off-duty, they are notified of nearby cardiac arrest incidents, just like Registered Responders.
• AED-Needed Responders: These individuals either own or have immediate access to an AED, such as employees, neighbors, or members of AED response programs. When a cardiac arrest occurs near the AED’s registered location, they receive a request to bring it to the scene. Multiple users can subscribe to a single AED, and the system supports all AED models and manufacturers.
PulsePoint is directly connected to the County’s Public Safety Answering Point’s (PSAP) computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. Alerts are only available to those who reside within the areas served by agencies connected to the County’s CAD system. Except for the cities of Dixon and Rio Vista who contract with the County for dispatch services, the residents and agencies within the other city areas would not receive PulsePoint alerts unless those cities partner with PulsePoint.
Neighboring counties including Napa, Yolo, Sacramento, Contra Costa, and Sonoma are all active users of PulsePoint, making it a regionally integrated solution. The use of PulsePoint is supported by many of the County’s allied agencies including local fire agencies, ambulance companies, local hospitals and healthcare providers.
Moreover, the app provides “Public Interest Alerts”, keeping registered users informed about a wide range of local emergencies and disasters, including wildfires, floods, controlled burns, and major accidents. The Solano County Office of Emergency Services is excited about new opportunities to enhance public awareness and emergency preparedness.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to receive the presentation; however, this is not recommended as the community launch of PulsePoint began on June 1, 2025, and there is significant public interest in this project.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department of Health and Social Services’ Public Health Division and Emergency Medical Services helped with the June 1, 2025 launch of PulsePoint and will continue efforts to inform covered residents of PulsePoint and its capabilities and to sign up responders. The Department of Information Technology assisted with review of the system and testing.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION