The program operates from two fire stations—Station 9 in the Faulkenburg/Sabal Park area and Station 37 in Riverview. By utilizing a fully managed logistics model, the service removes the operational burden from first responders, who can trigger deliveries via mobile devices without needing to manage specialized drone departments or additional staffing. ArcherFRS handles the technical requirements, including 24/7 system monitoring, remote pilot oversight, and regulatory compliance.
In section Releases
Hillsborough County Launches Nation’s First EMS Whole Blood Drone Program
In a move to slash response times for severe trauma, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and Tampa General Hospital have deployed a drone-based whole blood delivery system. Orchestrated by Archer First Response Systems, the initiative covers an initial 70-square-mile area, aiming to deliver life-saving blood supplies to accident scenes within three minutes.
This deployment is part of ArcherFRS’s Champion Hospital Partner Program, which aligns hospitals and local agencies to bypass funding hurdles. For Hillsborough County, the system acts as a force multiplier, integrating with existing trauma protocols to provide critical interventions before a patient reaches the hospital. The drones, capable of carrying payloads up to seven pounds, can also transport AEDs and Narcan, building on previous emergency delivery successes in the region. According to ArcherFRS CEO Gordon Folkes III, the goal is to shift the standard of care for hemorrhagic trauma by ensuring high-value medical products reach the field instantly.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first!