Peel Regional Paramedic Services has announced a medical drone pilot in the Bolton area beginning in September 2026, aiming to get life-saving supplies to people before an ambulance arrives. The program is intended for time-critical emergencies such as sudden cardiac arrest, severe allergic reactions, suspected opioid overdose and serious bleeding.

The drone can carry an automated external defibrillator (AED), naloxone or Narcan, bleeding-control supplies and an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen). A paramedic crew will still be dispatched as usual when an eligible 911 call is received. A drone may also be launched if the location, weather, timing and safety conditions permit. It supplements rather than replaces ambulance care during the crucial minutes before paramedics arrive.

The pilot does not cover all of Peel Region. Initially, eligible calls must be within about 3.7 kilometres of the Bolton Paramedic Satellite Station. Expansion would depend on the results of the pilot, safety analysis, community need and regulatory approval. Although Peel's paramedics serve Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon, the current drone service area is centred on Bolton.

At the scene, the drone does not land. It hovers and lowers a package into a safe, open space. An area about five metres in diameter, such as a driveway, yard or open ground, may be needed. Operators can cancel a delivery if people, pets or other hazards make it unsafe.

No prior training is required to use an AED delivered by drone. A 911 dispatcher or paramedic can guide a bystander step by step by phone or video. Peel says the chance of survival after cardiac arrest falls by about seven to 10 per cent for each minute without defibrillation, making earlier AED delivery a central goal.

The research behind the program dates to 2017, when Peel Regional Paramedic Services joined an 'AED on the Fly' study led by Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, Medical Director at Sunnybrook's Centre for Prehospital Medicine. The research examines whether drones can safely and quickly deliver AEDs, especially in rural and remote communities where access to equipment may be delayed.

The pilot is operated entirely by Peel Regional Paramedic Services, not a third-party commercial drone company. It operates under a Special Flight Operations Certificate issued by Transport Canada.

Peel paramedics serve Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. Whether the drone service eventually expands beyond Bolton will be decided in light of the pilot's results and required approvals.

Important: Residents cannot request a drone separately. In a medical emergency, call 911 as usual. Peel paramedics will determine whether a drone is appropriate, and the 911 communications operator will tell the caller if one has been dispatched.