A start-up called Flirtey delivers pizzas, Slurpees and other sundries by drone. But now, the company is embarking on life-saving work as a medical courier in the U.S., CNBC has learned.

Flirtey has formed a partnership with REMSA Health, a major provider of ambulance and emergency health services in the state of Nevada. When a 911 caller in the area reports symptoms of cardiac arrest, Flirtey and REMSA plan to dispatch a drone carrying a portable defibrillator to their home.

REMSA’s Chief of Operations for Healthcare, J.W. Hodge, said they hope to reach patients in less time than it would take an ambulance and medics to cut through traffic.

“Many communities have done a good job of deploying defibrillators so you will have them on airplanes, in some office buildings and schools and so on. Yet they’re not always within reach. At the same time, every minute someone suffers cardiac arrest without some intervention like CPR or an electrical shock, their chance of survival dips 10 percent.”

Cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association, is the leading natural cause of death each year in the U.S., affecting more than 350,000 people every year.

Portable defibrillators, which weigh about 5 pounds, can be used by anyone and require no medical training, said Flirtey CEO and founder Matthew Sweeny.

Source: Tech CNBC
Drones will deliver defibrillators to 911 callers to help treat cardiac arrest