The two-drone system is expected to cover about 70 square miles and deliver blood in under three minutes on average, according to Tampa General. The program is scheduled to begin operating in October, pending approval from the Hillsborough County Commission.

When a 911 call involves suspected severe blood loss, dispatchers will send responders to the scene while crews request a drone carrying whole blood. Paramedics can begin a transfusion at the scene if the patient meets the program’s clinical criteria.