Knowing exactly where an incident is taking place helps Emergency Services to respond efficiently and effectively.

However, emergencies can happen anywhere, often in places not covered by an accurate or reliable street address - let alone a unique landmark or reliable mobile connection. 

This means call handlers are frequently provided with inaccurate or unreliable directions from 999 callers, which can limit their ability to dispatch crews efficiently.

what3words is providing a solution.

By converting GPS coordinates into words, the system has given every 3m square in the world, a 3 word address.

This means that unique combinations made of three words can now be used to describe any precise location around the world. For example, ///labels.quiz.bound is a specific entrance to the The Lanes shopping centre in Carlisle, UK.

The free what3words app allows members of the public calling Emergency Services to find their current 3 word address and use it as a simple way to communicate exactly where an incident has taken, or is taking, place.

Using words makes the passing and sharing of locations more human-friendly and reduces the likelihood for error.

For instance, a person reporting a crime along the River Calder is able to tell West Yorkshire Police to dispatch help to “chin asleep pump” and response would know exactly where to go.

Services have also deployed the what3words app onto team devices enabling crews to get directions to the precise 3m squares quickly.

Over seventy-five Emergency Services in the UK are set-up to use what3words within their control room.

Many control room software systems have also use integrated what3words directly into their incident reporting software so 3 word addresses can be typed directly into the computer-aided dispatch system.

Many stories are emerging about how 3 word addresses are being used effectively by emergency services.

The type of incident varies widely - from locating lost and vulnerable missing persons, to tackling rural fires or getting medical assistance to people with critical injuries.

In many scenarios, what3words has been reported to have helped save time and lives, whilst also reducing the need for expensive resources like helicopters and search units to be deployed.

With more Emergency Services rolling out what3words every day these benefits are now being experienced across the country - making what3words an everyday part of emergency response in the UK.