The American Heart Association has selected San Ramon Valley (Calif.) Fire Protection District Chief Richard Price as the 2012 “Heart of Gold” honoree. The award honors an individual who has made significant contribution to the advancement of cardiovascular disease protection and has enhanced the welfare of the Greater Bay Area community.

In January, the fire-protection district released an innovative new location-aware mobile phone application that empowers everyday citizens to provide life-saving assistance to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Application users who have indicated they are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can now be notified if someone nearby is having a cardiac emergency and may require CPR.

If the cardiac emergency is in a public place, the application, using sophisticated location-based services, will alert citizens in the vicinity of the need for CPR. The application also directs these citizen rescuers to the exact location of the closest public access automated external defibrillator.