WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Sgt. Tiara Suggs and Master Police Officer Trey Jackson work as a well-oiled drone-operating machine.
The James City County police officers head up an initiative to deliver automated defibrillators by drone, the first of its kind in the state and only the second in the country.
“I can get a drone to a house in less than 90 seconds,” Suggs said.
And time matters.
“The quicker we can get defibrillation to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest event, it increases the likelihood of survival,” Suggs said.
The James City County Police Department is partnering with VCU, Duke University, and the American Heart Association to bring this project to life.
When a cardiac arrest call comes in, police, EMS, and the drone are sent.
Sgt. Suggs pilots the drone from her office with a PlayStation controller, while Officer Jackson is on the roof where the drone launches.
“When we lower that AED device, the dispatcher will give instructions that the drone is on the way. When you see it, grab it, and they will provide instructions on how to use that AED,” Suggs said.
“I’ll make sure the airspace is clear so we’re not interfering with manned aircraft or birds in the area,” Jackson said.
Currently, the FAA has cleared them to fly in a 2-mile radius.
The department is already using the drone as an extra set of eyes during service calls, but this takes it to another lifesaving level.
“Everyone joins law enforcement for different reasons. Almost all of us join to help save lives, and this is one additional aspect of how we can do that,” Suggs said.
When the project is clear for takeoff, education classes will be offered to teach the public how to use the AEDs.
Test flights are ongoing now, and the department plans to be in the air with compact AEDs by October of this year.
James City County police and their partners are trailblazing lifesavers, and they are positively impacting Hampton Roads.
