Johnstown students preview drone emergency service program
Aerium, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a pipeline between students and the aerospace industry, demonstrated how one of its drones can deliver medical supplies to an emergency site. The drone service is part of a pilot program called Drone 814, which will soon come to the Johnstown, Westmont and Southmont areas.
'Today's event was an opportunity for us to display to the public the first demonstration,' Glenn Ponas, executive director of Aerium said.
Showcase for Commerce returns to Johnstown convention center
Once someone calls emergency services, the drone will head over to the site with a package full of supplies, featuring tourniquets, glucose for diabetics, Narcan for drug overdoses and electric defibrillators for heart failures. Once arrived, the dispatcher on the phone will instruct the patient to use the supplies until paramedics arrive on scene.
'We want to ensure that we are getting first response faster and that the outcomes for patients are better,' Ponas said. 'So once the 911 team gets there, the end result is that we have better patient outcomes at the end of that.'
Test flights are set to begin in the first week of June and continue into the summer. Drone 814 expects to release a regional rollout plan in October.
Click here to view the plan.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
15 hours ago
- Axios
Where to find Richmond's new harm-reduction vending machines
The city of Richmond installed its first public, harm-reduction vending machines last week, and plans to add more this year. Why it matters: The machines offer free, anonymous access to life-saving medical supplies 24/7, including Narcan, or naloxone, a drug that can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. State play: While Virginia had the second-largest drop in overdose deaths in the country last year, over 1,500 Virginians still died from overdoses. Fentanyl, the effects of which Narcan can counteract, is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths, per VDH data. In addition to Narcan, the machines are stocked with fentanyl test strips, first aid kits and personal hygiene items. If you go: Vending machines were installed last week at Marshall Plaza (downtown) and Southside Plaza (South Richmond).
UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
Five hospitalized in another mass drug overdose incident in Baltimore
Baltimore police and fire personnel respond to a mass casualty overdose incident in West Baltimore on July 10. Another overdose incident was reported Friday in the same area. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Police Department/X July 19 (UPI) -- Five people in Baltimore were hospitalized for a reported mass overdose incident, one week after 27 were sickened in the same area of the city because of a "bad batch" of drugs, police said. The victims Friday were in serious condition, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said at a news conference, including addition to two who refused treatment after first responders deployed Narcan. The 911 calls started coming just before 9 a.m. Friday and not from a concentrated area as last week, police said. Both incidents are in the historic Penn North neighborhood of West Baltimore. "People have already heard what is out here and yet they still gotta go get it because their body is calling for it," one man who goes by the nickname 'Slim Rob' told WJZ-TV. "It's heartbreaking, man. It's heartbreaking. You got people's mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents out here -- and the kids need them and yet they need that when you can be gone like this." On July 10, people were hospitalized in the incident in West Baltimore, which law enforcement officers and community advocates called a "bad batch of drugs." BPD & @BaltimoreFire are on scene at the intersection of Pennsylvania & North Avenues in reference to multiple individuals experiencing overdose symptoms. More information to follow as it becomes available. Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) July 10, 2025 "We understand that the supply across the city is very volatile right now," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "If you see someone who may be overdosing, help them. If you have Narcan, administer it. Call 911. Don't walk past anyone who may be experiencing an overdose. "You can literally save their life by stepping in. That person is a human, that person is a Baltimorean." Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the incidents are being investigated separately. "We also have numerous officers working the area having to locate who the buyers were, who the sellers were and mainly who is bringing the drugs into the area," Worley said. Five people were arrested three days later on July 13 in the area on a charge of drug possession with intent to distribute. It's unclear if the arrested were linked to the mass overdose, according to Baltimore police. "I understand the frustration," Scott said about Penn North residents, who felt their concerns have been ignored. "We're talking about a neighborhood ... that has been so disinvested in for so long. We're not going to change that overnight." Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology who examined substances from last week said they contained fentanyl, a powerful painkiller; methylclonazepam, which has sedative effects; Mannitol, a diuretic; quinine, an anti-malaria drug; and caffeine. Narcan, which is the brand name of naloxone, and fentanyl strips were distributed to the affected neighborhood last week. "Today's incident is a painful reminder that our work is far from over," Scott said. In Baltimore, opioid overdose deaths reached a high of 1,006 in 2021 and dropped to 895 in 2022 before going back up to 952 in 2023. Last year, there were 698 opioid overdose-related deaths in the city, according to state data. "People fade away -- they've got agendas, other things to do," Vincent Timmons, an outreach specialist at Tuerk House, told the Baltimore Banner. "People don't remember that area. They're used to that."
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Gary Harm Reduction works with local agencies to provide services
Although federal funding changes are challenging Gary Harm Reduction, the local grassroots organization does what it can to help those affected by addiction in Northwest Indiana. The local organization hosted Regional Health Systems' medical van from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, doing community outreach for those with nowhere else to go. 'We can't do what we do without other systems and the same with them,' said Executive Director Kristen Martin. 'My approach is all hands on deck, all fighting, all inclusive. … We don't want to further stigmatize or harm anybody, so we're just making sure people's values align.' The organization was founded in 2020, according to its website, and it provides the opioid antidote naloxone, known by its brand name Narcan, advocacy for substance users and people in recovery. The group is entirely volunteer and has distributed more than 5,000 Narcan kits, according to its website. Indiana's overdose death rate is 41 per 100,000 individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lake County has the second-highest overdose rate in the state, according to Post-Tribune archives. For the local unhoused population, Gary Harm Reduction provides items like fresh clothes, blankets, ponchos and other items, Martin said. Gary Harm Reduction works with the medical van every first and third Wednesday of the month, Martin said. Regional Health Systems provides medical and dental services through its van, said Practice Manager Douglas Van Ramshorst, and it can assist with harm and overdose reduction. 'This looks pretty much like any other family doctor's office,' Van Ramshorst said. 'We can see kids, elderly folks, adults, do sick visits, primary care visits, physicals, pretty much anything.' The medical van helps ensure that Regional Health Systems is providing care to all areas that need it, Van Ramshorst said. Regional Health Systems' medical van isn't a free clinic, Van Ramshorst said, but they bill patients later and don't accept payment on-site. Most patients have Medicaid or Medicare, and Regional Health Systems accepts 'almost every private insurance.' The agency charges based on a sliding scale, which allows people to pay based on their income. For example, if someone is homeless and has no income, the organization waives all fees. 'We're a fairly qualified health center, which means that we don't turn anyone away due to their inability to pay,' Van Ramshorst said. 'We always tell people, 'If you're going to have an issue, going to us is better than going to urgent care or the emergency room'.' Since the beginning of 2025, Gary Harm Reduction has seen its federal and state grants decrease from about $500,000 to about $50,000, Executive Board Member Robert Bailey previously told the Post-Tribune. Federal cuts went to diversity, equity and inclusion, LGBTQ+ and HIV grants, Bailey previously said. The city of Gary has multiple Narcan vending machines, including one at Gary Harm Reduction's 5610 W. Ridge Road location. Martin said. The city's Narcan machines were funded through the Opioid Settlement Fund, which is a state program. Gary hasn't had to pivot plans for Narcan due to changes in federal funding, city spokesperson Erika Blackwell said in an email. In addition to Narcan, the machines also have socks, hand sanitizer, wipes and other sanitary items. Gary Behavioral Health Manager Chakara Gunn helps at Gary Harm Reduction, and in addition to the Narcan machine, she serves as a resource connection. 'People call and they're like, 'Hey, this is what I'm looking for',' Gunn said, 'and I can connect them from the health department to Kristen and the services she can offer.' For Martin, it's important to have connections like the Gary Health Department to reach more residents who need assistance. Gary Harm Reduction is also participating in community events that help raise awareness for their work, Martin said. On Saturday, the organization participated in the city's Neighborhood Wellness Block Party with other Gary health agencies. The organization also hosts an annual Region Recovery Riot, which will be Sept. 6 at the Gary Aquatorium. The Region Recovery Riot helps connect the community with prevention resources. Through the various provided resources, Martin hopes people become more comfortable asking for help when needed. 'There's no court orders saying they have to come here,' she said. 'It's all just love and wanting to help. … We're trying to get rid of the stigma.'
