Fire Departments in St.Marys, Perth County and Stratford now using what3words technology

To find you more easily in an emergency, 911 dispatchers for the municipalities of North Perth, Perth East, West Perth, portions of Perth South, the Town of St. Marys and the City of Stratford are now utilizing a new location technology called what3words. We are encouraging members of the public to download the what3words app in the event they become lost or are unable to communicate their location to emergency dispatchers.

what3words is an easy way to talk about location. Every three-metre square in the world has been assigned a what3words address. It is a unique combination of three words, such as ///frizz.empty.blot that will take you to the rear door of Stratford City Hall or ///showdown.sticks.clash which will take you to the exact spot of the Listowel Clock Tower. The app is free to use and also works offline making it ideal for use in areas that might have poor cellular service, such as the G2G Rail Trail that is enjoyed by hikers, tourists, and lovers of the great outdoors.

The technology is available in 60 languages and can be used anywhere in the world. The system does not store or track users’ location data, and there are no advertisements on the app or map. To date, what3words is available to over 50 emergency communication centres across Canada, with a presence in eight provinces and two territories.

Using what3words addresses gives callers a simple way to describe precisely where help is needed and allows emergency response crews to get resources directly to the scene. It has helped to rescue people from a range of incidents including locating victims of rural road accidents, people trapped in flood waters, kidnap victims and critically injured hikers and cyclists.

Now, in an emergency, where a location is difficult to describe, 9-1-1 callers can give their what3words address from the app. People who do not have the app installed will be sent a link by the 911 Operator to a mobile version of the site. They can then open it in a mobile browser and read the three words on their screen to the 9-1-1 call operator. All the app requires to display your what3words address is a GPS signal. These three words can then be used by the 911 dispatchers to identify the precise location and direct resources to exactly where it is required. Every second an emergency service searches for a caller could mean their chances of a positive outcome is reduced. The faster we can get to a person, the better the outcome. Please consider downloading the app for yourself and teach your children how to use it as well.

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For media inquiries:
Richard “Andy” Anderson, Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief
519-284-2340, ext. 201 | randerson@town.stmarys.on.ca