Forsyth County Celebrates Lifesaving Community Rescue, Expands AED Volunteer Program
Northside Hospital Forsyth, county fire and police officials, the Northside Hospital Foundation and Avive Solutions marked a community rescue on December 1 that highlighted the impact of local volunteers trained and equipped to respond to cardiac arrest. The event showcased the 4 Minute Community Program, which alerts nearby citizen responders with Avive Connect AEDs to bring a defibrillator to 911 scenes before emergency crews arrive, a capability that matters for survival in out of hospital cardiac arrest.
On December 1 Northside Hospital Forsyth and partners recognized a July 2025 resuscitation that underscored a new model for rapid defibrillator access in Forsyth County. CARE team volunteers, working with Forsyth County Fire and Police and hospital clinicians, brought an Avive connected automated external defibrillator to the scene and helped resuscitate local resident Vince Warren before first responders arrived. The ceremony honored the collaboration and highlighted the county's participation in the 4 Minute Community Program.
The program trains citizen volunteers, known as CARE team members, and equips them with Avive Connect AED devices. When a 911 cardiac arrest call is received, dispatch can alert volunteers registered within a one mile radius to retrieve the nearest AED and respond to the scene. The system combines mapping of AED locations with volunteer availability to shorten the time to AED and to provide an additional layer of early care while professional responders are en route.
Hospital and Avive leaders described the effort as a public private partnership designed to expand equitable access to early defibrillation across neighborhoods. Faster access to an AED is a critical determinant of survival for out of hospital cardiac arrest, and community responders can bridge minutes that otherwise separate a person from potentially lifesaving shocks and CPR.
The demonstration in July illustrated how community members working with dispatch and first responders can change outcomes. Local public health officials say the model can reduce time to AED, improve survival, and strengthen neighborhood resilience, especially in areas where ambulance response times are longer or where AEDs are sparse.
Residents interested in learning more or joining the CARE team can contact Northside Hospital Forsyth or visit northside.com for program details and volunteer opportunities. Expanding training and equitable placement of AEDs remain priorities as Forsyth County seeks to build a community safety net that reaches every neighborhood.