Dallas police and Dallas Fire-Rescue will now use new technology to help find people during emergencies.
Dallas police announced Friday the two agencies will use what3words, a free application and online map people can use to tell first responders their location. The technology “divided the world into three meter squares” and assigned each square a unique combination of three words, police said.
A person who needs help can open the application or map, and a blue dot will appear on the map showing their exact location based on their phone’s GPS. The application will then show the random three-word combination assigned to the three-meter square where the person is located.
The person can then tell the three-word combination to a 911 dispatcher, and first responders will know a person’s precise address and can get there faster, police said.
“Being able to get a location quickly is everything in an emergency situation, because time is crucial,” Dallas police Chief Eddie García said in a written statement. “Having an additional tool like what3words will help us to find a location quickly, and respond to an emergency faster to get help to those who need it.”
Dallas police response times increased significantly this year, including on highest-priority calls like shootings, prompting city officials and police to propose new solutions. Police also plan to boost the number of reports they take online and over the phone and the city is creating a new civilian unit to respond to lower-priority calls.
The application what3words can be used in more than 50 languages and works offline, which helps users in areas with an unreliable data connection, police said. It’s used by emergency responders across the world, including in the United Kingdom and Canada.
“As a public service agency, we are always looking for better ways to enhance our service delivery to the people we serve,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Dominique Artis said in a written statement. “We are excited to incorporate what3words as an added tool to help us do just that through their location software.”
