What3Words: Precise Location Technology for Emergency Situations
what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique three-word address which can be obtained using an App.
In an emergency situation, identifying precisely where help is needed is critical – and this can be nearly impossible if you are in an area with no address or if that address isn’t good enough to describe exactly where you are. It pinpoints exactly where you are as opposed to a Postcode which can be almost a mile square.
It can be particularly effective for emergencies in rural locations like farms, beaches, coastline or moorland without any addresses or points of reference nearby. Even in a town or city, the person in distress may not be able to share a location accurately – for example, the description ‘town centre’ will not help emergency services get to the right place.