LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – A new emergency response app plans a better way to call for help.
No address needed – the what3words app pinpoints your exact location using just three words, making it easier for 911 to find you quickly.
You might have heard of what3words before, as it was previously featured in our daily What the Tech segment.
Local public safety officials are encouraging people to download emergency response apps that will give you your exact location even if you don’t have an address. If you’re lost in the woods or simply can’t speak, the what3words app can show you your location on a map.
According to Ingham County Lt. Andrew Deinzer, what3words is already being used here in Mid-Michigan: “Our dispatchers are very familiar with what3words. We use it to help locate missing or missing people.”
The app is used across the US by Austin Police, EMS & Fire, Dallas Police & Fire, Los Angeles Fire, Ingham County 911, Jackson Police, Blackman-Leoni DPS, and more. It pinpoints your exact location within a 10 foot by 10 foot grid. Each square is assigned a unique 3 word address.
“You just open the app and press the arrow,” Daenzer says, “and it shows you exactly where the dot is. You wait a second for it to settle, then you click, you hear a clicking sound, and your member moves forward.”
Easily share the exact location of a park, vacant lot, or any other place that doesn’t have an official address.
“If this is a large area and you get lost, you can open the app, find your location and relay those three words to dispatch,” Deinzer said.
Each location, whether it’s a park bench, a parking space or a secluded spot on a hiking trail, has its own unique address made up of just three words.
“We’re approaching hunting season,” Daenzer said, “and if a hunter is out in the woods with a medical issue and needs immediate help, time is of the essence, so the faster we can get to them, the more likely we are to save a life.”
Knowing the exact location makes a big difference.
Download for iPhone
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