The Acting Chief of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services spoke to Bancroft council yesterday to give an update on the service’s new initiatives. One of these projects involves drones.
John O’Donnell told council about talks he’s having with Michael Nolan, Chief Paramedic and Director of Emergency Services in Renfrew County. He says Renfrew County is working on a program that would be able to use drones to get defibrillators to people in cardiac arrest, once the 911 call came in. At a cost of less than $2,000 per drone, O’Donnell says Renfrew County is thinking in new and cost-effective ways.
He says at this point, Hastings County is backing the idea but hasn’t made any financial contribution to the project. No timeline has been set for the program to be unveiled locally yet.
