Drone-delivered AEDs & medical kits
In rural communities, paramedics can be ten minutes or more away from a cardiac arrest. A drone can carry a defibrillator and life-saving medications to the scene in a few minutes, while paramedics are still on their way, so a bystander can start treatment sooner.
Most cardiac arrests are caused by an electrical problem in the heart that only a shock from a defibrillator can fix. The first few minutes decide the outcome.
Canadians die from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year.
Lower chance of survival for every minute defibrillation is delayed.
Share of cardiac arrests where a bystander applies an AED (CanROC data).
Typical paramedic response in rural areas, well past the 5-minute window.
The drone is sent at the same time as paramedics. It adds to the ambulance response; it never replaces it.
A call that meets the clinical criteria (such as a suspected cardiac arrest) is flagged for a drone.
A certified paramedic-service pilot runs the safety checks and launches from the station while paramedics are dispatched.
The drone hovers about 2 metres up and lowers the medical kit within about 10 metres of the patient.
Opening the kit connects the bystander by video call to someone who walks them through using the AED and supplies. The drone returns to base.
Our team first tested whether drone delivery could work in practice. Over more than 100 test flights in four rural and remote locations, including Caledon and Renfrew County, drones reached their targets in 1.8 to 8.0 minutes over distances of 6.6 to 9 km, much faster than typical ambulance times there. We also flew in poor cellular coverage, at night, in the cold and in light rain.
The next study brings drone delivery into real 911 responses in four Ontario communities. We will measure how often the drone arrives before paramedics (we expect about 70% of the time), how many minutes it saves, and whether bystanders can use the kit well with live guidance. We will also interview residents, paramedics and community leaders about what works and what doesn't.
Research in Rama First Nation will only take place with the consent and guidance of the community and its Elders, following OCAP® principles for Indigenous data governance.
Common questions from residents. If yours isn't here, send it to us.
No. Paramedics are always dispatched. The drone is sent at the same time to get an AED and medications to the scene sooner, so treatment can start before paramedics arrive.
Yes. AEDs talk you through each step and will only deliver a shock if one is needed. When you open the kit, a video call connects you with someone who guides you through using the AED and the other supplies.
Flights start from paramedic stations and stay within a set distance of the launch point (3.7 km, or 2 nautical miles, at our first site) and below 400 feet. Bolton, Ontario is the first operating area, and more communities will join as the program grows.
Flights are authorized by Transport Canada and coordinated with NAV CANADA. Pilots are certified, trained visual observers watch the airspace, and flights stop when wind, visibility or other conditions are outside set limits.
No patient medical records are kept on the drone. Information from the AED is handled under provincial health privacy law (PHIPA in Ontario) by authorized paramedic-service staff, and the video call that guides you is not recorded.
The drone only flies when weather is within safe limits (for example, no freezing rain, lightning or high winds). When it can't fly, paramedics respond exactly as they always do.
Have a question or concern about the program?
info@medicaldrone.ca