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McKinney Fire Department Launches Next Phase of Neighborhood Hero Program

Groundbreaking partnership will place 150 additional Avive Connect AEDs in the hands of trained community members, expanding McKinney's 4 Minute Community™ initiative

San Francisco - July 20, 2026 - The McKinney Fire Department invites the community to join in celebrating the launch of a groundbreaking partnership between Avive Solutions and the McKinney Fire Department's Neighborhood Hero Program.

Event Details:

  • Date: Tuesday, July 21
  • Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: Fire Department Headquarters, 2100 Taylor Burk Drive

Chief Paul Dow will share remarks about the partnership, donating entities and the vision for the future of the program. The event will also include:

  • A brief video highlighting the McKinney Police Department officer whose use of an Avive AED helped save a community member's life.
  • An overview of the next phase of the Neighborhood Hero Program, including the distribution of 150 Avive AEDs made possible through generous partner donations.
  • A presentation of four AEDs to community members who have completed the Neighborhood Hero Program training.

The public and community partners who have supported these efforts to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivability are welcome to attend.

A Story of Survival

In August 2025, 66-year-old Jim Milsap suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while riding in a vehicle approaching McKinney, Texas, and survived against extraordinary odds thanks to the rapid response of McKinney Police officers equipped with life-saving Avive AED technology. Just months earlier, the McKinney Police Department and McKinney Fire Department had worked together to implement a forward-thinking initiative to equip every patrol vehicle with Avive Connect AEDs and ensure all officers were trained in CPR and AED use. That decision proved critical.

Survival odds decrease by approximately 10% for every minute without defibrillation. By equipping police officers, often the first to arrive at the scene of a 911 call, McKinney is dramatically improving those odds.

McKinney's Neighborhood Hero Program

Building on this success, the city is expanding its efforts through the McKinney Neighborhood Hero Program, part of a broader 4 Minute Community™ Program. The program aims to place AEDs in the hands of trained civilians throughout the community, ensuring help is never more than four minutes away.

The Avive 4 Minute Community Program is a groundbreaking initiative that transforms communities into proactive cardiac emergency response networks. By using historical sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) data to strategically place Avive Connect AEDs with trained citizen volunteers, known as Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement (CARE) team members, the program creates a seamless bridge between bystander intervention and professional emergency response. The program and volunteer response have produced several saves across the country.

With strategic planning, strong partnerships, and innovative technology, McKinney is building a model for community-wide cardiac response, proving that when preparation meets action, lives can be saved.

You can sign up to support or volunteer for the McKinney Neighborhood Heroes Program here: https://www.mckinneytexas.org/821/Neighborhood-Heroes 

Media Contact: 

Mackenzie Kirk
Content Marketing Manager, Avive Solutions
mackenzie@avive.life

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