Medical drone initiative trials set for summer in Johnstown area
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An initiative using aerial drones to deliver defibrillators, EpiPens and other medical supplies to local emergency scenes has been cleared for a test run.
Drone814 partners plan to begin airlifting supplies across Greater Johnstown this summer through medical drone trials – in a bid to show the world that the effort can save lives and medical costs, ATA Aviation Managing Director John Eberhardt said.
Drone814 deployment map
The partnership called Drone814 will begin coordinating aerial drone deliveries of medical supplies this summer across part of the Greater Johnstown area.
From there, the sky's the limit, with the group hopeful the effort will also deliver high-salary jobs in the area, he said.
The launch signals 'a new era of high-tech emergency response' that will expand across the state if the Johnstown pilot project proves successful, Aerium Chairman Larry Nulton said.
'This initiative doesn't just push the boundaries of what's possible in emergency response; it opens new doors for our local workforce and sets the tone for how technology and community impact can go hand-in-hand,' he said.
Virginia-based ATA Aviation, which is in the process of opening a three-employee office in Richland Township, is working with Richland Township-based aviation nonprofit Aerium, the Cambria County Department of Emergency Services and the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission on the project.
ATA Aviation is implementing the operational "software" framework for the multi-modal mobility project.
'Pilot' phase
According to Eberhardt, preliminary systems tests will start in June, including "mock deliveries" designed to ensure that the drones – and their safety procedures – are operating properly before they are dispatched to accident and emergency scenes.
Aerial drones about the size of a Weber barbecue grill will be equipped to carry the supplies and be operated remotely by licensed "pilots" from a site at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Richland Township.
The goal is to start deploying them for live medical delivery "trials" over two separate periods in July and August, he said.
"During that period, if someone calls 911 and reports an incident the medical drones (can support) in Greater Johnstown, they'll be dispatched in addition to local ambulance services," Eberhardt said.
The goal is to track how quickly life-saving aid can be delivered to the scene by aerial drone, compared to by ambulance. And Drone814 will also track data on the medical side to outline the savings that faster responses mean – not just in terms of lives, but also projected savings through faster treatment and recovery times, he added.
"When it comes to cardiac arrest, or a bleed, or an overdose, it's proven that the faster you provide (essential aid) the less time someone is in the hospital, the less therapy they might need afterward," Eberhardt said.
Drone814 partners will handle the test runs, with the goal of getting funding – and the official clearance – to begin making drone response a 24/7 operation in Johnstown, he added.
The Drone814 program received U.S. Department of Transportation approval to use the airspace over most of Johnstown, Ferndale, East Conemaugh and the West Hills this summer to deliver 'critical' supplies to accident and emergency scenes.
The trial project was funded in 2024 by a $2 million federal grant, enabling Cambria County officials to install a network of drone-specific radio sensors across the county.
It was a necessary step to avoid signal interference with other air traffic, while also permitting drone operators to legally fly the devices outside their line of sight, officials said at the time.
Rural response
When emergency officials are alerted about a cardiac arrest, aerial drones would have a clear, direct path to the scene to drop off an AED device. If an overdose is reported, Narcan spray could be delivered just as quickly to a caller at the scene – likely before an ambulance or fire crew arrives.
Eberhardt said boxes with color-coded compartments will be loaded within the drone's supplies, enabling a 911 dispatcher to instruct a caller on which one to open, depending on the type of medical emergency.
"Once the drone lands and delivers the supplies, it won't be any different than a typical emergency call," Eberhardt said, adding that 911 telecommunicators often find themselves instructing people how to render aid until ambulance paramedics arrive.
Those "seconds count" when someone is suffering from a cardiac arrest, said Johnstown fire Chief Bob Statler, who praised the initiative. He said the new technology will likely have a big impact in remote areas of the region.
'Because of the call volume, Johnstown is a great place to (test) this project,' said Statler, 'but I think it's going to be the rural areas, locally and all over the U.S., that will really benefit. There are areas in Somerset and Bedford counties where the nearest ambulance might be 30 minutes away.'
Job creator
Aerium and its partners, including St. Francis University, have launched drone aviation programs in recent years to cultivate a workforce of drone pilots locally. Drone814's operations and anticipated growth will fuel a need for local talent, officials said.
Eberhardt said the initiative will need Federal Aviation Administration-certified drone pilots, mechanics to keep the unmanned aircraft running as designed. Staff will also be needed to load supplies onto the remote aircraft if the program gets the clearance to go full-time.
He said certified drone pilots earn salaries of $75,000 to $150,000 annually, so "these will be great local jobs." And the need for those jobs would only multiple as the effort expanded into neighboring counties, he added.
Somerset County is already taking steps to become part of an expanded drone network once the testing phase is completed. Last week, the Somerset County commissioners approved an $18,000 contract with the SAPDC to enable the program to move into the northern part of Somerset County.
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