Kauai Fire Department Urges Residents to Download Free Cardiac Emergency App

The Kauaʻi Fire Department is pushing residents and visitors to download PulsePoint Respond, a free location-aware app that alerts CPR-trained bystanders to nearby cardiac emergencies and guides them to the closest publicly accessible automated external defibrillator before professional responders arrive.

KFD and Kauai County launched the app on the island in February 2025, and Fire Chief Michael Gibson has been vocal about its potential. "By connecting trained citizens to cardiac emergencies in their community, PulsePoint Respond empowers the community to provide immediate assistance while professional responders are on their way," Gibson said in a release.

The app works in coordination with the 911 system: notifications go out only after 911 has been activated, ensuring bystander response is layered on top of the official emergency dispatch rather than operating independently. Once alerted, a CPR-trained user receives the location of the cardiac event in a nearby public space and directions to the closest registered AED, which can be the difference between survival and death in the minutes before a fire engine or ambulance arrives.

Gibson credited a broad coalition of local partners for making the rollout possible. "The PulsePoint Respond app enhances our ability to respond quickly and effectively in the critical moments following a sudden cardiac arrest, and we are proud to bring this lifesaving technology to Kauai. Mahalo to the Office of the Mayor, Kauai Lifeguard Association, Hanalei Initiative, and the Kauai County Council for their support in bringing PulsePoint to the island," he said.

PulsePoint Respond is free and available by searching "PulsePoint" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app's benefit scales directly with how many CPR-trained people on the island have it installed: the more registered users in a neighborhood, the faster a trained bystander can reach someone in cardiac arrest.