The what3words app divides local areas into smaller dimensions, allowing call handlers to pinpoint distressed callers to an exact 10-foot square location
DALLAS — This article originally appeared in the Dallas Business Journal, a WFAA news content partner.
The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire Rescue have announced they will begin using the London-based location technology program what3words to respond to incidents and callers faster, according to a news release.
what3words divides local areas into smaller dimensions to allow call h andlers to pinpoint distressed callers to an exact 10-foot square location. In the case of an emergency, a caller can use the program app or online map system to provide a three-word area location to 911 call takers.
“As a public service agency, we are always looking for better ways to enhance our service delivery to the people we serve,” Dominique Artis, chief of Dallas Fire Rescue, said in the release. “We are excited to incorporate what3words as an added tool to help us do just that through their location software.”
The location technology is used by 85% of emergency services in the United Kingdom.
“Not being able to tell 911 exactly where help is needed can be extremely distressing for a caller,” what3words CMO Giles Rhys Jones said in a press release. “By rolling out this technology across the city, Dallas Police and Fire teams are innovating where it really matters.”
what3words was founded in 2013 and is free to download and use via the app for iOS and Android.
The system works offline, and covers addresses across the world.