If you have an iPhone (or Android), the county Health Department has come up with an app(lication) you can add to it to have handy in case of emergency – apparently it’s been out for a while so you may have it already, but if not, read on for the newly issued reminder:

Apple iPod Touch phone and Google phone users in King County and around the world now can learn about cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and choking aid with information at their fingertips. Easy to download and use, the free cell phone video applications make these life-saving techniques available for people to review in their spare time or reference during an emergency.

Adapted from videos previously developed by Emergency Medical Services, the one minute trainings are consistent with the latest recommendations from the major international resuscitation organizations. English subtitles are included with the videos.

“If people know CPR and choke aid procedures, they use them in an emergency. We developed a phone application to tap into a younger, more tech-savvy audience with tools that could literally save a life,” said Dr. Mickey Eisenberg, Medical Director for King County Emergency Medical Services “We continue to urge everyone to receive formal instruction in CPR and how to assist a choking victim. These video applications are an important way to learn, review and refresh these critical skills.”

King County is an international leader in survival rates from witnessed cardiac arrest, at over 40% over the past three years-among the highest rates in the world. Other major cities have reported cardiac survival rates as low as 1-5%. Local community members knowledgeable and trained in CPR are an important reason for this survival success.

Since the new phone applications launched in mid-May, they have been downloaded in 80 countries with over 5,000 users.

The mobile phone-based applications were created by the Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health – Seattle & King County, Washington, in conjunction with support from partners at the University of Washington, the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, the Medic One Foundation, the Seattle Fire Department, and the Laerdal Foundation for Acute Medicine.

To download the applications:
iPhone: www.itunes.com (search: CPR/choking King County)
Google: www.market.android.com (search: CPR/choking King County)

To view the videos and for more information about CPR and choking aid, visit www.learncpr.org

For more information on getting trained in CPR and choking aid, call the Medic II – CPR Office at 206-684-7274 or contact your local chapter of the American Heart Association.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in King County operates in a coordinated partnership with five dispatch centers, seven paramedic providers, and 30 fire departments. Funded through a countywide EMS/Medic One Levy, the EMS system utilizes a layered-response system providing a continuum of care for people in need of emergency medical services.