With just three words, the Whitehorse Fire Department will know exactly where to respond to an emergency.
In a Feb. 17 statement, the City of Whitehorse announced it had adopted the what3words location technology used for emergency response.
The app divides the world into a grid made up of 3 m by 3 m squares, with each square given an address made up of three words.
Users who find themselves in an emergency can open the app to get their three-word location and provide that to emergency responders, giving them a precise location.
As it was noted by the city, with boundaries that span more than 415 square kilometres, it can be difficult to find certain places and people may have difficulty describing exactly where assistance is needed.
“The Whitehorse Fire Department is proud to partner with what3words to launch a unique location determination tool which does not rely on traditional addresses or familiarity with local landmarks to quickly and accurately locate a caller requiring emergency support,” fire chief Jason Everitt said. “The adoption of this mobile solution will save significant time in locating a caller and dispatching responders directly to their location. Help us help you and download the what3words app today.”
As it was pointed out in the city’s statement, emergencies can happen anywhere, from an accident along an unmarked stretch of road to incidents at specific buildings or parts of town.
Residents are encouraged to download the free app, which also works offline, “making it ideal for use in the rural areas that might have a poor internet connection.”
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com