Passenger suffering from cardiac arrest saved in the Rome subway

A passenger was saved from cardiac arrest thanks to the intervention of some people on the platform and the use of a defibrillator. It happened on the afternoon of Monday 8 September in the San Giovanni station of Line A of the Rome metro, on the platform in the direction of Anagnina.

When the man collapsed, the alarm went off immediately. Some of those present, with knowledge of first aid (BLS), began cardiac massage and contacted the Ares 118 Operations Center. The healthcare operator coordinated the maneuvers remotely through the FlagMii platform, which allows a video connection with the operators, and noted that a defibrillator (DAE) was available in the station. An Atac employee indicated to the improvised rescuers where the device was located, which was applied successfully. Upon the arrival of the 118 personnel - two ambulances and a medical vehicle - the patient was transported to the San Giovanni hospital.

"An episode that demonstrates how the presence of defibrillators in public places, combined with the technological aid provided by platforms such as FlagMii and the great civic sense demonstrated by the people who were present on site, can save lives", commented Narciso Mostarda, general director of Ares 118.

Introduced in the Ares 118 in April 2022, FlagMii manages emergency calls from smartphones by integrating visual and location data. Among the main functions are geolocalization, which overcomes the limits of cell phones with continuous tracking of the caller on the map, and streaming video calling, which allows operators to observe the scene to assess the severity of the situation and guide first aid maneuvers. The system also offers a chat with automatic translation in real time, useful for foreign users or those with hearing problems, and an "App-Free" mode which activates services via a link sent via SMS, without the need to install applications.