A free smartphone app that alerts CPR-trained bystanders to nearby cardiac arrests is now live across Hamilton County, including Montgomery, Blue Ash and Sycamore Township.

The PulsePoint Respond app connects to the 911 system and sends automated notifications to registered users within a quarter mile of a reported cardiac arrest in a public space. The alert includes directions to the nearest automated external defibrillator, or AED.

WLWT first reported on the countywide rollout Thursday, Sept. 3. The app had been available in Cincinnati for years but now covers all Hamilton County jurisdictions, according to the Hamilton County Fire Chiefs' Association.

The stakes are high. Survival rates for cardiac arrest drop 7 to 10 percent for every minute without CPR, according to Fox 19. Fire crews typically arrive in four to six minutes. PulsePoint aims to fill that window by getting a trained neighbor on scene first.

Steve Oughterson, fire chief of the Madeira & Indian Hill Joint Fire District, said CPR, AED access and fast dispatch all strengthen what emergency responders call the "chain of survival."

The Hamilton County Emergency Communications Center handled more than 600,000 assistance requests in 2025, including about 7,000 cardiac-related incidents. Of those, 1,700 were confirmed cardiac arrests requiring additional help, according to WLWT.

Andy Neff, director of the Hamilton County Emergency Communications Center, said the app is part of a broader push to make residents as familiar with AEDs as they are with fire extinguishers.

"We want people to recognize that AEDs exist, much like how you think of a fire extinguisher … We don't have that same awareness with our public with AEDs yet, and we continue to try to raise that awareness to make people think about things," Neff said.

To use PulsePoint, residents download the free app on iOS or Android, confirm they are trained in CPR and select their local responding agency. When a cardiac arrest is reported nearby, the app sends a notification with directions. Users who are not CPR-trained can still register; the app includes step-by-step CPR and AED instructions.

The app does not track or store personal information. It only activates for incidents in public spaces, not private homes.

Christ Hospital is funding the Hamilton County rollout, so no local tax dollars are involved, according to Fox 19. PulsePoint, a public nonprofit, operates in more than 5,500 communities nationwide with over three million subscribers, according to the PulsePoint Foundation.

Fire officials are also encouraging local businesses to register their AEDs with PulsePoint so the devices can be located faster during emergencies. Residents can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching "PulsePoint Respond."