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The Drone Emergency Medical Services (DEMS) system developed by Everdrone is now actively operational in the Forges-les-Eaux area of Normandy.
The system is fully integrated into the regional emergency dispatch chain for suspected cardiac arrest cases, enabling its use in real emergency calls to reduce the time until the first medical intervention can occur. The drone delivery system is operated by Everdrone in close collaboration with the French emergency dispatch centers (SAMU), providing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the site of a suspected cardiac arrest, often several minutes before an ambulance can arrive.
The ability to provide early access to an AED is critical, as the chance of survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest decreases by approximately 7–10 percent for every minute without defibrillation. By shortening the time to the first intervention, the DEMS service aims to address one of the most decisive moments in the entire chain of survival.
The project was initiated by Rouen SAMU. Dr. Cédric Damm, Medical Director at Rouen SAMU, recognized the potential of the Everdrone DEMS model to shorten response times for cardiac arrest cases. The SAMU worked closely with Delivrone, a medical drone operator in France, to implement a solution. Everdrone and Delivrone have been collaborating since 2022 to provide French hospitals with a state-of-the-art DEMS capability.
The implementation in Normandy involves a long-term partnership with Delivrone, CHU Rouen Normandie (the university hospital in Rouen), Région Normandie, and Mairie de Forges-les-Eaux. Their combined objective is to reduce the time to first medical action and strengthen survival prospects in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
The Normandy system is based on Everdrone’s established DEMS platform, which has been in operational service in Sweden since 2022. The results demonstrated in Sweden, which showed clear time savings and improved access to AEDs, have been central in shaping the French service.
Mats Sällström, CEO of Everdrone, stated: “Having our system now used in live emergency calls in Normandy demonstrates how quickly DEMS technology can create tangible value. Together with our regional partners, we are taking an important step toward giving more patients life-saving support several minutes earlier than is possible today.”
Dr. Cédric Damm, Medical Director, SAMU 76 Rouen, added: “In cases of cardiac arrest, every minute is critical, and the ability to place an AED on-site several minutes earlier can directly influence a patient’s chance of survival. By integrating Everdrone’s DEMS system into our dispatch chain, we gain a valuable complement that strengthens our ability to act quickly in the most time-sensitive situations. The project in Normandy shows that drone deliveries can become a natural and effective part of the emergency medical care of the future.”
