Emergency Services in Northumberland have deployed an innovative location technology app to enhance response times.
When directing first responders to your location in an emergency, three words may prove to be lifesaving. Local emergency services are encouraging people to download the what3words app, which uses an innovative grid-based address system to help first responders pinpoint a caller’s exact location and reach them with minimal delay.
what3words is being adopted by emergency services around the world as a tool to dispatch first responders to the precise location of a caller in need of help. Every 3-metre square in the world has been given a unique combination of three words: a what3words address that never changes.
For example, ///plopped.legions.dogged will deliver you to Presqu’ile Point Lighthouse in Brighton, whereas ///study.swirly.reach is the unique address for a 3-meter square of waterfront along Port Hope’s West Beach. 9-1-1 callers simply give their what3words address from the app, and first responders will immediately be dispatched to their exact location.
Through tiered response protocols, all fire, paramedic and police services in Northumberland are now able to jointly leverage the benefits of the what3words app in local emergency response.
The app works both on- and offline, with the offline functionality making it ideal for use in rural areas that might have a poor internet connection, such as remote nature areas that are enjoyed by hikers and tourists. All the app requires to display a what3words address is a GPS signal, with a phone’s location services switched on and a clear line of sight to the sky for a GPS lock.
The free what3words app can be downloaded from app stores for iOS and Android. In addition to the app, people can use the online map at http://map.what3words.com/.
