Jersey City aims for 2-min response time with app-based system

100 volunteers will launch the program and will have access to a mobile app linked to the city’s 911 system; it’s modeled after a successful Israeli program

January 14, 2015 12:31 PM

newjerseynewsroom.com

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mayor Steven M. Fulop, United Hatzalah and the Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health are partnering to launch the first of its kind in the country of a mobile app based community response system for ambulatory calls. The program, known as Community Based Emergency Care (CBEC), is modeled after the highly successful Israeli community-based emergency care program United Hatzalah.

Initially, Jersey City will target 100 volunteers to launch the program. The volunteers will complete a course on basic emergency response provided by Barnabas; the volunteers will be outfitted with emergency response equipment, and will have a mobile app linked into the city’s EMS 911 system.

“The idea is simple and it leverages technology. As an example, if a 911 call comes into a high-rise building for a heart attack victim on the 10th floor, why should we not try to bridge the response time to provide help if we know there is a doctor or someone who can help on the 5th floor? Rather than waiting for the ambulance to arrive and the doctor hearing the sirens, we will notify certified personnel, provide them with a real-time GPS locator so they can bridge the response time until an ambulance arrives. This system will be the first to leverage the community working with technology,” said Mayor Fulop.

Read full story: Jersey City Aims to Have Fastest 911 Response Time in Country; Goal of Sub 2 Minute Response