Reno company, city land spot in federal drone airspace program

The city of Reno and Reno-based drone delivery company Flirtey grabbed a coveted spot in a highly competitive federal drone program.

As part of the program, Flirtey CEO Matthew Sweeny said he intends to work with the city to plug drones into the local 911 system.

Flirtey previously partnered with emergency medical services provider Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority to launch the first drone delivery service for automated external defibrillators in the U.S. Now, the vision is to deliver packages using drones with its customers, which include Fedex, 7-Eleven and Domino’s Pizza Inc., ultimately bringing drone delivery to homes across America.

“This program is all about fast tracking commercial operations,” Sweeny said. After the three-year stint, “hopefully we’ll roll out nationally.”

Sweeny plans to put the defibrillator-carrying drones in Reno Fedex stores, which can be dispatched to locals undergoing cardiac arrest. Based on the population density of Reno, Sweeny said the Aed-carrying drones have the ability to save one life every two weeks.

The first test flights for this project are likely to begin within the next 90 days, he said. The flights will begin in rural areas and the company will share data with the FAA before securing approvals to deliver to more urban locations in Reno. Sweeny said Alpine Insurance Associates in Reno has facilitated all of the insurance the company needs for the program.

The U.S. Department of Transportation received more than 140 applications for the Federal Aviation Administration Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program.

Launched in October 2017, the three-year program was created to accelerate drone integration in the national airspace by allowing state, local and tribal governments to collaborate with private-sector entities.

“I think it speaks volumes of technology and innovation (in Reno),” Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said Wednesday during a Q&A session at Reno City Hall. “It’s been an incredible last few years with growth for companies we’ve seen here … for us, it really makes a big, bold statement.”

Nevada also submitted a statewide application that included dozens of partners from Nevada-grown companies and Fortune 50 corporations.

Paul Anderson, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, said state officials were disappointed the statewide application was not selected.