1.What is it?

A smart new way of navigating around space where each 3m x 3m space has 3 words designated to itself. As a postcode may cover a larger area, this is a more precise and descriptive approach of an area which can be easily scanned with the naked eye.

2. Why is it important?

Calling 999 in an emergency is usually daunting and you may have multiple thoughts running through your head. Many from the phone service have experienced the caller having difficulty in describing their whereabouts with vague descriptions of trees, lampposts and everyday landmarks.

Especially if the incident has happened inside a large park, open grounds or the motorway, it can be difficult to describe the exact location which can essentially compromise the outcome of the patient. The time can now be better spent by speeding up the process using what3words to precisely locate the incident to the call team and relay the information quickly to the paramedics, police or fire brigades.

what3words also make it easy to integrate the information between softwares as each location only consists of two lines of code which are currently accepted by Sopra Steria Storm, Airbox, Northgate and MIS.

3. How does it work?

• what3words’ services are being used by a number of industries from automotive to travel, logistics and even humanitarian aid across the world 
• in terms of emergency services and patient care what3words can be used in two ways – download the what3words app on IOS and Android or follow the link the emergency services can send you whilst on the phone 
• share the 3 word address with your operator on the phone 
• the operator will share the address with the outgoing team 
• wait for the emergency services to arrive in the exact location given 
• what3words also works offline anywhere in the world so you never feel isolated

Here are the current services who confirm use of what3words:

Police

Avon & Somerset Police	Guernsey Police	Northumbria Police
Bedfordshire Police	Gwent Police	North Yorkshire Police
British Transport Police	Hampshire Police	South Yorkshire Police
Cambridgeshire Police	Hertfordshire Police	South Wales Police
Cleveland Police	Humberside Police	Suffolk Police
Cumbria Police	Kent Police	Surrey Police
Durham Police	Nottinghamshire Police	West Yorkshire Police
Essex Police	Norfolk Police
Gloucestershire Police	Northamptonshire Police

Fire and rescue 

Avon Fire & Rescue	Essex Fire & Rescue	Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue
Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue	Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue	Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue	Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue	South Wales Fire & Rescue
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue	Humberside Fire & Rescue	South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
Cleveland Fire & Rescue	Lancashire Fire & Rescue	Staffordshire Fire & Rescue
Cornwall Fire & Rescue	Leicestershire Fire & Rescue	Suffolk Fire & Rescue
Cheshire Fire & Rescue	Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue	Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue
Cumbria Fire & Rescue	Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue	Warwickshire Fire & Rescue
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue	Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue	West Midlands Fire & Rescue
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue	North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue	West Sussex Fire & Rescue
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue	Norfolk Fire & Rescue	West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue	Northumberland Fire & Rescue
East Sussex Fire & Rescue	North Wales Fire & Rescue

Ambulance

Devon Air Ambulance	South East Coast Ambulance Service	Yorkshire Ambulance Service
East of England Ambulance Service	Thames Valley Air Ambulance Service
South Western Ambulance Service	Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Other

• UK Coastguard 

Please note: always take note of as much information as possible within your location in case what3words are not accepted.

References

All images in this article except the leading graphic belongs to what3words

• https://what3words.com/news/emergency/uk-emergency-services-rollout-what3words-in-control-rooms-to-save-resources-time-and-lives/
• https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/what3words/id657878530
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.what3words.android&hl=en_GB
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=s70FnHirF8k