County Commissioner’s Meeting Highlights: New Mobile App Aids Cardiac Arrest Victims, 9-1-1 Dispatcher Aids in Birth
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN— At the end of the Clinton County Commissioner’s meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2025, Jonathon Plessinger, Director of Emergency Services at the Clinton County Department of Emergency Services, made an announcement about a recently launched mobile app that can be used to assist individuals experiencing cardiac arrest in the community before emergency responders arrive. Additionally, Plessinger acknowledged a county 9-1-1 dispatcher, Spencer Ross, for his heroic efforts earlier this week when he assisted a woman over the phone while she was in active labor.
“The PulsePoint app is now active for public download, so if you have not downloaded it, it’s a great app,” Plessinger said.
PulsePoint Respond is a mobile app connected to the county’s 9-1-1 dispatch center that notifies its users in real-time about individuals in the community who are experiencing cardiac arrest and can request help from nearby CPR-trained individuals. The app has been made available to Clinton County residents through donations from the UPMC Foundation.
The app also allows everyday citizens to offer life-saving support to sudden cardiac arrest victims. Users who indicate that they’re trained to provide CPR or are willing to provide assistance will receive alerts when someone nearby experiences sudden cardiac arrest, allowing them to render aid until emergency responders arrive. As they’re providing assistance to the patient, emergency medical teams are simultaneously dispatched.
Plessinger explained that even PulsePoint app users without CPR training can help an individual experiencing a cardiac emergency. If they receive a notification from the app and can reach the scene of the emergency quickly, dispatchers can walk them through the necessary steps to assist the person in need by calling 9-1-1.
County residents can download the PulsePoint app at no cost from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After installing the app, users should enable notifications and choose “Clinton County, PA” as their location to receive alerts.
Shifting from his announcement about the PulsePoint app, Plessinger acknowledged one of the dispatchers on his team at the Clinton County Department of Emergency Services, Spencer Ross. Ross was promoted from dispatcher trainee to full-time 9-1-1 dispatcher just over one year ago, effective as of January 5, 2024.
“Spencer Ross, on January 13th, took a call from an individual that was traveling on Interstate 80 and in need of EMS assistance,” Plessinger said. The call Ross received was a report of a woman in active labor. “The baby’s arrival was imminent, and Spencer remained calm on the phone and was able to provide the instructions that he’s trained to do over the phone, and provide information to the EMS folks that were responding.”
Plessinger described Ross’s efforts as an achievement for the department and expressed that EMS personnel often handle unpleasant emergency situations, so he felt that Ross deserved recognition for handling this particular call effectively.
“We play a critical role as our dispatchers are the ‘first-first’ responders,” Plessinger said. “They may not be physically there, but their voices and the stuff that they do on a daily basis definitely hits home and also helps the first responders in our community, and I think we should be proud of not only Spencer but the work that our department does on an everyday basis, so Spencer, thank you.”
Plessinger presented Ross with a “stork pin”, which is an award given to dispatchers who assist in delivering a baby.
Other dispatchers and EMS personnel attended the meeting in support of Ross’s efforts and shared that his assistance during the call resulted in the delivery of a healthy 8.3-pound baby boy who was born just before emergency responders arrived at the scene.
Before adjournment, Chief Clerk Desiree Myers reminded the community that county offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The next meeting of the Clinton County Commissioners will be held on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., with a voting session to follow on Thursday, January 30, at 6:00 p.m. All meetings are held in person at the Piper Building in the 2nd-floor conference room, located at 2 Piper Way in Lock Haven. Meetings are also livestreamed on the “Clinton County Government” Facebook page.
