New app changes the way we get help, three words at a time

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – A new emergency response app shows a better way to call for help.

Skip the street address. What3words uses just three words to determine your exact location, so 911 can find you quickly.

If this sounds familiar, what3words has been featured previously in our daily What the Tech segment.

Local public safety departments are encouraging people to download an emergency response app that pings your exact location, even if there’s no street address. Whether you’re lost in the woods or simply can’t speak, the what3words app will put you on the map.

what3words, according to Ingham County Capt. Andrew Daenzer, is already in use here in Mid-Michigan. “Our dispatch is very familiar with it. We’ve used it to find missing or misplaced people.”

The app is also used across the United States, including Austin PD, EMS and Fire, Dallas PD & Fire, Los Angeles Fire, Ingham County 911, Jackson Police and Blackman-Leoni DPS. It pinpoints exact locations in a grid of 10-foot squares. Each square is assigned a unique three-word address.

“All you have to do is open this app, tap the arrow,” Daenzer said. “It will show you exactly where we are with that dot. Give it a second to settle down, and when you tap on it, giggling. moving forward. members.”

Makes it easy to share your precise location in places without a formal street address, such as a park or open field.

Daenzer said, “If it was a large area and I got lost, I could open this app, find my location and say those three words to send a message.”

Whether it’s a park bench, a parking space, or a secluded spot on a hiking trail, every place has its own unique address consisting of just three words.

“Hunting season is coming up,” Daenzer said. “So a hunter who’s out in the woods and maybe has a health issue and needs immediate help, time is of the essence. So if we can get to them faster, that can help save lives.”

Knowing your exact location can be crucial.

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