911: Your Drone Has Arrived

Photo provided by Draganfly

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Could you end up calling a drone one day to save your life?

Draganfly Inc. DPRO says it is about to find out.

The award-winning drone solutions company recently finalized a $750,000 definitive agreement with Coldchain Technology Services, LLC (Coldchain Delivery Systems) to develop and operate solutions for emergency delivery of items like medical supplies, medicine, and vaccines.

Now underway in Phase 1 out of a 5-phase rollout, the company completed over 300 daytime drone delivery test flights with emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in Spring Branch, Texas. Around 100 of these flights were completed using the payload box, a feature built exclusively by the company to make deliveries of medical supplies safer and more accessible. This box is top-mounted and can transport up to 15 pounds of life-saving goods to its recipients.

In addition to the physical products, the company is training emergency personnel on how to properly pilot drones and handle deliveries. They learn the specific drone techniques through simulated scenarios from professional drone operators and former U.S. Air Force (USAF) personnel. These USAF members have experience piloting multiple drone systems like the MQ-9 Reaper RPA.

Operators will also support EMS personnel during these rescue missions, making sure they have the most active data and the correct equipment at hand. The estimated EMS market for drone services is said to grow around 25% by 2025, an important step for supply chain innovation.

Draganfly says it has been driving the future of drones since the pre-drone era as a trusted name in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engineering. In fact, Draganfly not only focuses on product development but also on contract engineering, software, artificial intelligence, and flight services, providing a suite of core capabilities. The drone sector includes big names like Honeywell International Inc. HON and Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC as well as important players like Draganfly.

Coldchain Delivery Systems provides services for healthcare supply chain management for both government and commercial clients, like the Defense Logistics Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and ‎Prevention, reserve component forces of the U.S. Armed Forces, Johnson & Johnson ((JNJ), the Chicago Department of ‎Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

According to CEO Cameron Chell, a Draganflyer drone was credited as the first drone to ever save a human life. That drone now lives in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, symbolizing the company’s esteemed history in not only innovation but in supporting human services.

With data from day and night flight tests, pending Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval, Draganfly will enter Phase 2 of the rollout soon. The company believes it could be on its way to saving more lives ⁠— 1 drone at a time.

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.