Ambulance Drones in Norway - A Stakeholder Analysis

Abstract

Cardiac arrests claim millions of lives each year. The condition can often be treated with a de fibrillator,buttimeisaverycriticalfactor. Asaconsequence,survivalratesarelow. Recent developments in drone technology have made civilian drones both cheap, easy to operate, and reliable. This paper looks into opportunities to use drones to deliver defibrilla tors to cardiac arrest victims faster than an ambulance, and focuses on unifying the needs of emergencyresponsewiththerulesandregulationsrequiredtooperatethedronessafely. The study is performed as a literature study combined with interviews. The primary stake holderswereidentifiedasemergencyresponseandtheCivilianAviationAuthority. The results showed that there was both a perceived use for ambulance drones and a way to legally use them. The suggested approach involves using ambulance drones at sporting events such as "Birkebeinerrennet" as a proof of concept, before more advanced or permanent pro gramsareconsidered.