#KnowExactlyWhere week is being run from Monday 27 July with emergency services, local authorities and organisations around the UK to raise awareness of the app – and how it can be used to save precious time, resources and lives in an emergency.

what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares.  It has given each square a unique combination of three words – a what3words address.

///tortoises.swarm.announce, for example, will take you to a precise location on Ben Nevis where in February 2020 a group of hikers were rescued.

The app is free to download for both iOS and Android and works entirely offline – making it ideal for use in areas of the UK with an unreliable data connection. what3words can also be used via the online map at what3words.com. The technology is available in over 40 languages, including Welsh, and can be used anywhere in the world. 

Our mapping system supports the use of what3words and additional training has been provided to staff meaning that emergency medical dispatchers can type in the three words to detect the exact location of the emergency.

Although we recommend for people to always be aware of their whereabouts and follow a map if they’re heading somewhere new, the use of what3words can be used in instances where the patient is in a remote location or unable to describe exactly where they are.

We have been supporting the awareness week on social media to help encourage people the download the app in case of an emergency.