Development of a first-responder dispatch system using a smartphone

Abstract

We constructed a prototype community first responder (CFR) dispatch system. The system sends incident information, including a map, to the chosen CFR's mobile phone. We tested it in a simulation of 30 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents which had occurred in the town of Motegi during the previous year. Thirty off-duty firefighters acted as CFRs and were sent to the same locations. The mean response time (from the CFR receiving dispatch information to arrival at the scene) was 3 min 37s faster than the actual response time in the corresponding historical control, i.e. the response time was reduced by 36% (P < 0.01). The median travel distance of the CFRs was 3.4 km and there was a positive correlation between response time and travel distance. The study showed that interactive communication between dispatcher and CFR was important for effective operation and that CFRs could reach an OHCA patient before the Emergency Medical Service arrives.