Drone Delivery Tech Applied in Life Saving Operations
This post is also available in: 
עברית (Hebrew)
Drone delivery has been expanding to first response in the cardiac emergency setting. Every minute literally counts in increasing the odds of survival for a person experiencing cardiac arrest. The chance of survival drops between 7 percent to 10 percent for each minute that a cardiac arrest victim does not get CPR or defibrillation, according to the American Heart Association. A drone delivery service has forged a new partnership with an ambulance company to send out defibrillators and other emergency equipment by air during responses to cardiac arrest.
The drone delivery company Flirtey is joining forces with the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority in Reno, Nevada, allowing responders to send an automated external defibrillator by air in addition to an ambulance dispatch for every emergency call involving cardiac arrest. The goal is to help improve response times, especially in locations where traffic can slow down the arrival of paramedics on the scene.
“Cardiac arrest occurs when the electrical activity of the heart stops,” said J.W. Hodge, chief operating officer of the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority. “Someone in cardiac arrest will be unresponsive with no pulse, no breathing, no movement at all.”
According to mercedsunstar.com, the program uses a rapid drone deployment program that combines Flirtey’s flight-planning software technology with Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority’s patient care and transport programs, according to rgj.com.
The joint delivery program will allow a person on the scene to use the defibrillator on the person suffering cardiac arrest before paramedics arrive. The equipment used for the program is designed to be used by anyone, including those without a healthcare or emergency background, Hodge said. Additional guidance on using the defibrillator and providing assistance to the patient also will be provided by 911 operators.
Flirtey CEO Matthew Sweeny said: “This is one of the most important uses of drone-delivery technology, and we believe that by democratizing access to this lifesaving aid, our technology will save more than a million lives over the decades to come.”
Nevada is one of six congressionally mandated drone testing sites selected by the Federal Aviation Administration.
