Beginning May 1, Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital will use drones to deliver critical equipment to certain 911 callers in Manatee County.
As part of a new program, the academic health system has collaborated with the county and Archer First Response Systems, or ArcherFRS, to deliver life-saving equipment via drones to 911 callers in the coverage area.
When a person calls 911 with reports of cardiac arrest, opioid overdose or trauma, a drone carrying an automated external defibrillator, Narcan nasal spray and a tourniquet will be dispatched. The drones are expected to reach callers in about 2 minutes.
"Through the use of technology and innovation, Tampa General Hospital is transforming healthcare," John Couris, president and CEO of the hospital, said in an April 23 news release. "This first-in-the-nation program can effectively save lives by responding to health-related emergencies faster than ever before."
Tampa General said it will work with its partners to evaluate the performance of the program over the next year, and determine how it can bring the technology to other regions in the state.