City of North Augusta, SC Partners Avive's 4 Minute Community™ Program

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Avive Solutions, Inc. announces its partnership with the City of North Augusta, South Carolina, as part of Avive's 4 Minute Community™ Program. North Augusta joins numerous other communities across the country in their adoption of the 4 Minute Community Program: an innovative, first-of-its-kind approach to improving cardiac arrest response. This is the first 4 Minute Community Program to be adopted in South Carolina.

The 4 Minute Community Program in North Augusta, SC is a collaboration between Avive Solutions, the Municipal Association of South Carolina and the City of North Augusta.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a critical medical emergency that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating normally. In the United States alone, there are more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases reported every year, with nearly 90% resulting in fatalities.

The City of North Augusta's 4 Minute Community Program will work to strategically place 50 Avive Connect AED^®s with CPR trained volunteers in the community in an effort to increase bystander intervention and provide rapid response to a person experiencing SCA. The goal is to strengthen the links of the Chain of Survival with Avive's new technology and deliver lifesaving therapy with an AED to someone in cardiac arrest before first responders arrive on scene.

"We're excited to welcome the City of North Augusta into the expanding network of 4 Minute Communities," said Sameer Jafri, CEO and Co-Founder of Avive Solutions. "North Augusta is an exemplar of forward-thinking leadership for taking this important step to strengthen cardiac emergency response in the pre-hospital setting. With the support of grants and strong collaboration across multiple stakeholders, we're creating a model that can be replicated by communities across South Carolina, and nationwide. This partnership marks a major advancement in building a connected system of care across South Carolina and in transforming how sudden cardiac arrest is addressed across the country."

What Is the 4 Minute Community Program?

The 4 Minute Community Program seeks to bridge the crucial gap between a cardiac arrest and the arrival of professional emergency responders. By leveraging historical data on SCA throughout a community, the program equips CPR-trained citizen volunteers with Avive Connect AEDs. These volunteers, known as Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement (CARE) team members, can be alerted by 911 and dispatched to nearby emergencies via a mapping system.

"As a city, we often talk about providing a great quality of life for our citizens. By placing AEDs throughout the city and empowering residents to assist those in need, we are truly enhancing quality of life in a way never before seen in North Augusta." Mayor Briton Williams, North Augusta, SC

"The Four Minute AED Program empowers North Augusta citizens to step forward and fill the critical time gap before officers or emergency services arrive. By placing AEDs in the hands of our residents, we're ensuring lifesaving care can begin immediately which allows the community to assist Public Safety." Chief Junior Johnson, Director of Public Safety, North Augusta SC

A Connected System of Care

The Avive Connect AED leverages its REALConnect™ Services to enable Intelligent Response technology and transform emergency cardiac care. Intelligent Response empowers 911 telecommunicators to dispatch nearby Avive Connect AED®s to the scene of SCA emergencies. The Avive Connect AED is integrated via RapidSOS with North Augusta's 911 Emergency Communications Center. Once triggered, the nearby AEDs flash a red screen and sound an alarm, giving bystanders directions to the scene and guiding them through the emergency with step-by-step CPR and defibrillation instructions. While high-quality CPR buys time, only a shock from an AED can restore a person's heartbeat and save their life. This seamless coordination between CARE team members, next-generation AED technology, and emergency services establishes a new standard for cardiac arrest response.

Municipal Association of South Carolina

"We created the IMPACT Fund to encourage cities in South Carolina to launch innovative programs that will have lasting positive effects. The City of North Augusta's Four-Minute Community Program is an outstanding example of a local government thinking creatively and leveraging our support to make a meaningful difference for its residents. This program will save lives in North Augusta, and I believe it will become a model for communities throughout our state." Jake Broom, Deputy Executive Director, Municipal Association of South Carolina

North Augusta has been working diligently to decrease the time it takes to deliver high-quality care to a patient in cardiac arrest. For more information and updates on North Augusta's participation in the 4 Minute Community Program, please visit avive.life/4-minute-community/

About North Augusta, SC:

North Augusta incorporates the energy of a thriving city with the warmth and character of a close-knit community. Home to more than 24,000 residents, North Augusta is committed to delivering an exceptional quality of life for its citizens.

With a premier location, forward-thinking leadership, thoughtful growth, charming neighborhoods, and a strong sense of community, the 4 Minute Community Program is a natural extension of that commitment — empowering residents with the tools and resources to help save lives when every second matters.

To learn more about North Augusta and its initiatives, visit www.northaugustasc.gov.

About Avive Solutions, Inc.:
Avive Solutions, Inc. is a Brisbane, CA-based company dedicated to developing state-of-the-art Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) designed to be accessible, intuitive, and effective in saving lives during Sudden Cardiac Arrest emergencies. Avive's mission is to ensure that lifesaving AED technology is available in every community across the nation. Learn more at https://avive.life.

Media Contacts:

Katerina Miras
Avive Solutions
[email protected]

For more information, visit avive.life and northaugustasc.gov

SOURCE Avive Solutions, Inc.