Simcoe County explores cutting-edge technology to cut emergency response times
Cutting-edge technology is being explored in Simcoe County as part of a strategy to improve emergency response times.
Drones delivering life-saving equipment like defibrillators, EpiPens and naloxone could be a game-changer and something Volatus Aerospace is working to develop.
"The use cases are growing as fast as you can imagine a solution they're being developed," said Volatus Aerospace CEO Glen Lynch. "It's an exciting time to be in the drone industry."
A drone would deliver necessary equipment before an ambulance gets to where it's going, which is why Warden George Cornell said County council was "supporting further exploration of our paramedic team, looking into what the options are and what the availability is."
Cornell said the County is looking to expand first aid training in schools and develop a community responder program.
"The more people that are properly trained and available to support the professionals, the paramedics, obviously, the better for the outcomes and health of residents within the County of Simcoe," he added.
While the possibilities seem endless for what drones can do, turning them into reality is a work in progress.
"There are regulatory changes that are necessary to enable it that is happening in Canada and the U.S. over the foreseeable future," Lynch added.
Volatus Aerospace anticipates it could take two to three years before drones are helping to save lives, but the County is preparing for that day by exploring it in the upcoming budget process.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.