South Simcoe Police Service are now using the mobile application What3Words to help find 911 callers who don’t know their location. The process will assist officers in locating people in remote and forested areas where signal is limited and on waterways. Police are encouraging members of the public to download the free app in case of an emergency.

“The app will help us respond to these types of incidents more effectively and reduce response times. Emergencies can happen anywhere. Using a what3words address gives callers a simple way to describe precisely where help is needed and allows emergency services to dispatch resources straight to the scene and find the location.”

Every three metre square in the world has been given a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. The system can be used via the free app for both iOS and Android or via the online map at what3words.com and is available in over 40 languages. The app works offline, making it ideal for use in the rural areas of Canada that might have a poor or unreliable internet connection.