Barton Hose Company No. 1 – the volunteer fire department for Allegany and Garrett counties, is encouraging the public to download a potentially life-saving app, what3words, to ensure 911 callers can always share their exact location with first responders.
With people set to gather to celebrate Labor Day weekend, I thought it would be a good moment to remind the public to be prepared to provide their location in an emergency. We know from our work with Emergency Response teams that public holidays cause a surge in 911 calls – and providing a what3words location in an emergency is a simple way to help them help you.
In case you aren’t familiar, what3words has divided the world into a grid of 10 ft x 10 ft squares, and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. This means that every park bench, parking space, viewing point along the race course, and remote spot on a hiking trail has its own unique and easily communicable address, made up of just three words. For example, ///vines.royal.brands mark an exact parking spot at the Cumberland Shopping Center – the perfect way to remember where you parked your car before a shopping trip.
what3words is already being used by emergency services across the US – including Austin PD, EMS and Fire, Dallas PD & Fire, Los Angeles Fire, Frederick County, Calvert County, and Barton Hose Company (find a list of US emergency services using us here). In fact, Deputy Chief Nick Fisher of Middletown, CT, South Fire Department recently stated the system is so effective “that it’s like tracking a breadcrumb”.
