To make you aware of what3words?

[GottenGottenGotten]

It's an app that maps the world in random words - and is used by the emergency services, so if you are somewhere with no postcode or don't know the postcode, you can use the app so the emergency services can accurately find you.

I downloaded it from the Google play store, I'm sure it's available for Apple too.

I did do a search and didn't find anything, but apologise if it has been posted before.

It’s also fantastic to use for finding friends at festivals etc.

Oooh JonSlow that is an amazing suggestion, I never considered that.

I work in emergency services (police) and have never heard of this. I've just asked around and neither has anyone else. It certainly isn't something we use to locate people.

This doesn't sound very helpful at all. Perhaps I just dont get why it would be useful. Why would it be better than using a road name or a house number or even a description (eg. Near the bridge/ big tree/ park entrance).

Presumably because not all roads are named, there isn't always a landmark etc. Think the Highlands of Scotland, it can be miles between houses and roads might just be a dirt track.

If it was useful for emergency services I would imagine there would have been a public campaign with posters and adverts etc.

I do like the suggestion for finding friends at a festival though!

But for your example of the highlands, mountain rescue already have a very snazzy piece of software that gives them your exact location from a text message.

Oh, that sounds fab, I didn't know that about the mountain rescue. I'm in Scotland but not Highlands.

It has already been used effectively by emergency services in the uk

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47705912

I've heard of it before, but I also struggle to see how it's useful TBH. Isn't is the same as GPS?

I can honestly say that it is not used in GMP, Cheshire or Merseyside police.

It does sound useful at festivals though, I agree.

it's pretty new I think, but I believe the main advantage is that it can be used offline with no data

but it's such a laugh looking at other peoples house names :o

mind you, thinking about it, most people are so rubbish at map reading the offline thing is not really going to be much help cos they are not going to know where they are to locate their 3word square.

I remember hearing about this ages ago. I think it uses satellite technology so can be used where there's no phone signal. Was it developed for search and rescue in disaster zones, maybe?

It's easier than GPS as reading out a lat & long in a stressful situation is extremely difficult. AIUI the three words is more accurate and has been used by the Emergency Services which is why I downloaded it.

It is GPS, but instead of using longitude & latitude it uses a combination of 3 words in the local language.

It’s excellent - gone from small business to global cover in a matter of years. Mercedes now have it in all their new cars - poor areas in emerging countries can now have ‘addresses’ for their homes in camps...

Check out the new job roles they advertise for - language students and data scientists .. properly using language & tech in a fascinating way

It's handy in rural areas because if you have a horse in a field you can direct vet to the right gate.

You can also memorise your regular ones, and I'd imagine it works well for specific crags for climbers too!

I am an emergency services operator and we can use it but it’s not my preferred method of locating someone. I have managed for a very long time without it! It would be useful in countries with vast wide spaces with no landmarks though. Some emergency services have it built into their despatch systems, we do not. Even if we did it still relies on the caller giving the words exactly accurately and with a lot of the words they utilise this isn’t always straightforward. As it stands if a caller gives us three words we have to input this into the what three words website and then cross reference the location onto despatch. This takes a lot longer than just finding out where they are using an address based system. Some car companies are having it built into their crash systems - if the car crashes an automatic dial comes through to give us this location. If this works anything like those cars that give a longitude and latitude location then it won’t work. Our despatch does not work like this and when this has happened before we have had to rely on waiting until we hear a human voice. These things are all very well until you consider that all emergency services have different despatch systems and whilst the Ambulance nationally have similar this is not the case for Fire and Police. This tech is making things more difficult for us, not easier. I really hope it doesn’t take off. It won’t work for emergency services without VERY significant investment.

Please do not rely on What Three Words when making a 999 call.

Durham constab don’t use either

As pp have said, it does sound potentially useful in developing countries but maybe not so much in the areas most of us live in. Fun though.

My force uses it.