What3words is a proprietary geocode system designed to identify any location on the surface of Earth with a resolution of about 3 meters. It is owned by What3words Limited, based in London, England. The system encodes geographic coordinates into three permanently fixed dictionary words (Wikipedia).

What3Words allows Emergency Communications Officers (911 dispatchers) to pinpoint your location, down to 3 meter blocks, which can be incredibly more accurate than other ways of determining locations in an emergency. The only requirement for What3Words is simply downloading the app before you need it. In an emergency, oftentimes callers can be located off the grid, without the cell service needed to get a good location. With What3Words, you can access this location information, even without cell service, helping to jump over that barrier of an inaccurate location. The most important thing is to ensure that it is installed before you need it.

What3Words 2019©

Pictured above is a view of how What3Words actually works. With the world divided up into small 3 meter squares, the location accuracy is incredibly more accurate. What3Words is just part of a nationwide effort to move 911 Centers to NG911, an initiative to improve the technology in PSAPs (911 centers) across the United States. Part of this initiative is better mapping and location tools to pinpoint caller’s locations with better precision and accuracy.

To use What3Words, download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your smartphone. Then, in the case of an emergency if you can’t be found off your location, use the What3Words app and provide the three words to the dispatcher, and let them know that it is your What3Words location.

For any further questions about What3Words, visit their website at https://what3words.com/products/what3words-app.

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This article was originally posted to KMVT and has been reposted with permission by the author, Elizabeth Hadley. Click here to view the original story.

JEROME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Calling 911 in an emergency situation is vital to getting the help you need, but many people don’t realize the importance of the dispatchers on the other line. KMVT visited SIRCOMM this morning and highlights the hero’s on the other end of the phone.

“You don’t get taught how to call 911,” said Kristy Churchman, the deputy director of SIRCOMM.

Calling 911 in an emergency situation is often scary and stressful. but what about for the emergency dispatchers?

“The vicarious trauma of listening to emergencies as they happen, there is the compassion fatigue of listening to it over months and years, it all compounds,” Churchman said. “Mental health is very important when it comes to 911 dispatchers, but then there is other stressors, like 12 hour shifts and missing your friends birthday, your anniversary, and friends weddings.”

When a person calls 911, the dispatcher works to figure out the details of the emergency while also communicating with different agencies to help them get to the scene. SIRCOMM manages Twin Falls, Jerome, Lincoln and Gooding counties.

In the year 2020 alone, they fielded 111,844 calls for help.

They recognize that what might not be an emergency to some, is vital to others.

“Anywhere from help finding a lost dog, to a multi-agency emergency, we have personnel that are able to multitask in this new world,” said Brett Reid, the Director of SIRCOMM.

While they often are not recognized as first responders, officials at SIRCOMM want the public to recognize the importance of a 911 dispatcher, and just how much they do for people every day.

Of course the big incidents are rewarding in such, I helped save someone’s life, I helped someone do CPR and save their baby, but the small things like we helped an elderly lady find her dog, so any kind of incident can be rewarding depending on who you are.,” Churchman said

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