Fort Worth EMS has officially launched its groundbreaking prehospital blood program, with the help of Delta’s Autonomous Portable Refrigeration Units (APRUs). After two years of preparation, Fort Worth joins a growing movement across Texas to deliver lifesaving whole blood to trauma patients before they reach the hospital.
Two Fort Worth EMS supervisor vehicles are now equipped with universal blood units stored and managed using Delta’s blood storage technology — ensuring that blood is kept at precise, critical temperatures and ready for immediate transfusion at the scene. This innovation allows paramedics to treat patients suffering from severe blood loss, the top preventable cause of death from trauma, right where time matters most.
As Dr. Jeff Jarvis, Fort Worth’s medical director, noted during the launch announcement: “We now have the opportunity to give patients back the thing they are losing — and save precious minutes along the way.”
The Fort Worth program, funded by the Fire Department and supported by partners like MedStar, JPS Hospital, and Carter BloodCare, follows Dallas Fire-Rescue’s recent steps to improve trauma care. Together, these efforts mark a major leap forward for emergency medical services across North Texas — and Delta’s APRUs are proud to be part of it.
Read more: Texas FD now carrying whole blood (EMS1)