Knowing how to get help in a first aid emergency is critical and often the most difficult part is telling the emergency services exactly where you are.
This is where what3words comes in.
Street addresses aren’t accurate enough to give a precise location, such as building entrances, and they simply don’t exist for parks, playgrounds and many rural areas. This makes it hard to quickly tell the emergency services where you need help.
So what3words divided the world into 3 metre squares and gave each square a unique combination of three words. It means everywhere can be located with just three words. For example ///surfer.rely.organist will take you to a precise spot on the beach front in Llandudno.
This quick and simple way to find and share exact locations is used by millions of people and makes life safer, more efficient and less frustrating. It even works offline so is ideal for areas with unreliable mobile connection. You can use the what3words app for iOS and Android devices or simply visit locate.what3words.com in a web browser to get an instant location.
In fact, many UK Emergency Services actively encourage you to share your what3words address. Find the three-word address for your current location then share this over the phone to the call handler speaking clearly and spelling each word if necessary. The emergency services will then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.
Over 100 Police, Fire and Rescue and Ambulance services from right across the country as well as HM Coastguard have confirmed they use what3words addresses. You can find out if your local emergency service uses what3words at https://what3words.com/news/emergency/uk-emergency-services-rollout-what3words-in-control-rooms-to-save-resources-time-and-lives (and if yours doesn’t – ask them why not!)
If you’d like to learn more about first aid, let North Wales First Aid help! We run a variety of first aid courses including First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid at Work, Outdoor First Aid and First Aid for Professional Drivers.