Neuwied launches first responder app amid German resuscitation data

The Neuwied district in Germany has launched ‘ProHerzschlag’, an innovative mobile application designed to assist in emergency responses to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The app allows registered first responders to be alerted to nearby emergencies, enabling them to begin life-saving measures and deploy automated external defibrillators (AEDs) before professional emergency services arrive.

This local initiative coincides with data from the 2025 German Resuscitation Register, which reports that approximately 130,000 people in Germany suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually. The register indicates that the rate of first responders assisting in resuscitations remained stable at 53.5 percent. While more than half of resuscitations now begin before the arrival of emergency services, the report highlights a continued need for expanded access to defibrillators to improve survival rates.