Rapid Response, Real Results: Forsyth’s 4 Minute Community™ Program Saves a Life.

On a summer afternoon in Forsyth County, GA, Vince Warren was doing what he had done countless times before - mowing the lawn he took pride in, preparing for a weekend trip with his wife, Tina. It was an ordinary, familiar day. Then, without warning, Vince collapsed onto the concrete of his driveway. His heart had stopped.

Inside the house, Tina had no idea that anything was wrong until a roofer who was driving by recognized the emergency and rushed to the door, shouting that Vince had fallen. Tina found her husband unresponsive and bleeding and called 911. In a matter of seconds, the quiet afternoon turned into a fight for his life. Guided Forsyth County 911 telecommunicator Emily Strait, Tina began CPR - something she had never done before. Neighbors with medical training quickly ran over, rotating compressions and helping maintain Vince’s airway.

Behind the scenes, Forsyth county’s emergency response system moved just as quickly. The 911 telecommunicator used the power of RapidSOS intelligence and integration to dispatch EMS while simultaneously activating nearby Avive Connect AED devices through Forsyth County’s 4 Minute Community™ Program: an initiative designed to close the deadly gap between cardiac arrest and ambulance arrival.

Less than a mile away, CARE Team member CK Villarouel received an alert on his phone and AED: a cardiac emergency was unfolding mere minutes away. He grabbed his Avive Connect AED and ran out the door.

When CK arrived, he identified himself and coordinated with 911. He placed the AED pads on Vince’s chest as the device analyzed his heart rhythm. Clear, step-by-step instructions guided the rescue. Within moments, the AED delivered a shock. By the time EMS arrived, Vince had regained a pulse - giving him a chance many cardiac arrest victims never receive. A QR code Incident Data Report from the Avive AED was scanned and transmitted ahead to Northside Hospital, allowing doctors to prepare before he arrived.

In partnership with Avive Solutions, Northside Hospital Foundation, Northside Hospital Heart Institute, and the Forsyth County Fire Department, Forsyth County became one of the first communities in the nation to launch the 4 Minute Community Program. Designed to bridge the critical gap between a sudden cardiac arrest and the arrival of professional responders, the program leverages historical SCA data to strategically equip CPR-trained citizen volunteers - known as Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement (CARE) team members - with Avive Connect AEDs. When a cardiac arrest occurs within a one-mile radius, 911 telecommunicators can alert and dispatch nearby CARE team members through a mapping system, ensuring an AED arrives on scene as quickly as possible while emergency crews are en route. The Avive Connect AED uses REALConnect™ Software and Intelligent Response technology to integrate directly with 911 systems, flashing a red screen, sounding an alarm, and providing step-by-step CPR and defibrillation guidance to responders - creating seamless coordination between citizen volunteers, technology, and emergency services.

The program’s impact was powerfully demonstrated on July 24, 2025, when Vince became the first life saved in Forsyth County through the 4 Minute Community Program. Rapid action by community volunteers and first responders using Avive Connect AEDs resuscitated him after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest, marking a significant milestone in community-based cardiac care. Today, Vince is back home with his family - living proof that when trained citizens, intelligent technology, and 911 systems are connected, lifesaving care can begin long before sirens are heard. His survival underscores the life-saving potential of the program, which has helped save numerous lives nationwide by delivering timely defibrillation through nearby trained volunteers.