This November, the Belgian municipality of Kinrooi will host the country’s first large-scale practical test of the mobile alert system designed to mobilise citizens during a cardiac arrest emergency. The pilot marks an important milestone for HEARTSAFE and the development of community first response in Belgium.
From bystander to lifesaver
When someone experiences an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, every minute matters. Nearby citizens can often reach the person before an ambulance arrives, giving them an opportunity to start CPR and use an AED during the critical first minutes.
Through the new Van Omstaander tot Held—“From Bystander to Hero”—initiative, Kinrooi will explore how mobile technology can help citizens take lifesaving action. The system is designed to alert people nearby when their assistance is needed, enabling them to respond while the professional emergency services are on their way.
The initiative is being carried out by HEARTSAFE partner KU Leuven in cooperation with the Municipality of Kinrooi and Rode Kruis Kinrooi.
Testing the approach in practice
In November, simulated cardiac arrest emergencies will be organised at different locations across Kinrooi over four days. Participating citizens will receive an emergency alert through the app and will then be invited to respond to the simulated incident.
The KU Leuven research team will study how the alerting process works in practice, how citizens respond and what is needed to strengthen community first response in Belgium.
The tests will provide valuable insights into the practical, technical and organisational requirements for developing a live Community First Responder system. Such a system could help mobilise trained citizens to provide CPR and retrieve an AED before an ambulance arrives.
Building on Kinrooi’s commitment to heart safety
Kinrooi provides a strong setting for this pilot. The municipality has invested in heart safety for many years and was named Belgium’s most heart-safe municipality in 2017. Today, around 20 AEDs are available in public spaces across Kinrooi.
The new pilot builds on that foundation by connecting AED availability with mobile alerting, scientific research and active citizen participation. Together, these are important building blocks for an effective Community First Responder network.
For HEARTSAFE, the pilot represents an important step towards understanding how proven community response approaches can be adapted to Belgium’s local emergency care structures. The lessons learned in Kinrooi will support the further development of community first response in Belgium and contribute to knowledge exchange across North-West Europe.
Belgian media highlight the upcoming pilot
The initiative has already received attention from regional and national media. Read the original Dutch-language coverage:
Kinrooi tests a new system that turns bystanders into lifesavers – Grensland Actueel
Kinrooi pilots Belgium’s first cardiac-arrest alerting app – VRT NWS