June 9th through June 15th, emergency services across the country are taking part in the annual what3words #KnowExactlyWhere summer safety week.
Chickasaw County Emergency Management Agency (EMA)/911 is joining the national campaign to raise awareness of the free what3words app and how it can be effectively utilized to communicate precise locations in an emergency – saving time, resources and, in some cases, lives.
As the summer weather draws more people outside Chickasaw County EMA/911 is gearing up for an increase in 911 calls. They note, ‘What’s the address of the emergency?,’ is one of the first questions asked by dispatchers, but individuals can often find themselves in unaddressed and difficult-to-describe locations. This can cause serious issues and delay first responders in situations when every minute matters.
What3words provides a simple way to communicate very precise locations, utilizing a system which divides the world into a grid of 10ft squares, assigning each square an identifier made up of three random words: a what3words address. Now every spot in a park, tent at a festival, highway hard shoulder and viewpoint along a hiking trail has its own unique and easily-communicable address.
Chickasaw County EMA/911 uses the technology to ensure its resources are sent exactly where help is needed, fast.
What3words is available in over 60 languages to date, including Spanish. It’s free to download for iOS and Android, and can also be used via the online map at what3words.com The app works offline, making it ideal for use in areas with an unreliable data connection.
While not intended as a replacement for traditional location and navigation tools, the innovative technology has become a staple to the emergency services. Public safety teams across the US have praised what3words for enabling dispatchers to send resources exactly where help is needed.
