Medical emergency drone deliveries to start in US

Drone delivery service Flirtey and community-integrated emergency medical service provider REMSA are to launch the first automated external defibrillator drone delivery service in the US.

The service aims to assist first responders treating victims of cardiac arrest. The drones will be dispatched at the same time as ambulances when REMSA receives an emergency 911 call. They are able to fly directly to the scene, arriving more quickly than ambulances whose response time can vary depending on distance and other factors. This allows treatment to begin sooner, improving the victim’s odds of survival.

A statement from Flirtey said: “Together, Flirtey and REMSA are developing an emergency response and 9-1-1-integration process to allow for the rapid drone deployment program – including combining Flirtey’s flight planning software into REMSA’s highly specialised patient care and transport programmes.”