Houston County Commission backs PulsePoint integration to speed bystander response

The Houston County Commission voted to support a Southeast Health Foundation proposal to integrate the PulsePoint mobile app with the county’s computer-aided dispatch system.

The measure, approved by voice vote after a staff presentation, encourages integration of PulsePoint as the final piece of the county’s Heart Safe initiative to alert trained citizens to cardiac arrests, opioid overdoses and severe bleeding incidents.

Sean, the project representative, told commissioners that once PulsePoint is linked to the dispatch system, telecommunicators can trigger an alert that will notify app users within roughly 15 minutes of a reported incident. "Once it alerts us that there's help needed, we have a choice to accept or not accept," Sean said, describing how the app maps the patient location and shows the closest AED and the nearest NARCAN dose for responders. He said the app is free to users and funded by the foundation.

Chair Brandon Shoop praised the partnership and those involved, saying the project shows leadership and community commitment. The presentation emphasized that immediate action is critical: Sean noted that delays matter for survivability and underscored the potential for trained bystanders to improve outcomes.

The resolution does not itself allocate county funds; the presenter said the app is funded by the foundation. Commissioners approved the resolution by voice vote, with no recorded roll-call tallies included in the meeting transcript. The action was described and voted on during the regular agenda and will move forward to the next implementation steps handled by staff and participating agencies.

The County did not set an implementation date during the meeting; staff follow-up and coordination with the county’s telecommunicators were referenced as next steps.