Tampa General to Deploy Drones Delivering Blood Directly to Trauma Sites

Tampa General Hospital revealed plans to introduce a pioneering drone delivery system that will air-drop whole blood to victims of catastrophic injuries across a 70-square-mile area of Hillsborough County. By reducing transport time to less than three minutes, the service seeks to give hemorrhaging patients a better chance of survival before they reach the hospital. When 911 calls involve severe blood loss, dispatchers will direct responders to launch the drones, which can be administered on site.

The drones, supplied by Archer First Response Systems, will be operated by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue at stations 9 and 37, the busiest for trauma cases. The program, developed with the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, the Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services and OneBlood, is slated for an October rollout pending county commission approval.