The system was tested by the Berlin fire department for a year and has now been officially launched. Around 2,600 people suffer cardiac arrest in Berlin every year. With the App KATRETTER, the chances of survival of these people should be increased, because often the fast reanimation is the decisive factor. In a crisis every second counts - after an alarm by the app, civilian first responders should be able to be at the scene of an emergency in three to four minutes.

The goal is for 40,000 Berliners to download the KATRETTER app and register as first responders. With this number of active users, the app should make it possible to report around 130 more survivors per year. According to the Berlin fire department, during the first week of October 2020 first responders were already at the scene of the emergency in one-third of all cases.

“Our ambition is to expand Katretter to become Germany's largest helper system. We are doing something very useful for neighborhood assistance,” said Prof. Dr. Manfred Hauswirth, managing director of Fraunhofer FOKUS. Eight districts and cities are already involved, and 2,500 first aiders have already registered.

KATRETTER is available to all volunteers free of charge. But different assignments require different types of voluntary support. First responders with training in the field of medicine or who work in emergency services are qualified to initiate first resuscitation measures, for example. These skills require a specific registration - also free of charge. Even without certain capabilities, helpers can get involved: Whether for filling sandbags during a flood or taking care of anxious people in crises.