Emergency services call for public to download life-saving app to track casualties in remote areas like Snowdonia

Emergency services have pledged their support for an app which has been credited with saving thousands of lives across the UK.

Calls are being made for the public to download the free what3words location app – so they’re ready to give details in the event of an emergency.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has used it for a number of serious emergency calls in remote locations and is now urging people to download it as part of the #KnowExactlyWhere campaign.

The app has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, and has given each square a unique combination of three words – known as a what3words address.

///validated.deeds.nature, for example, will take you to the Tommy Jones Obelisk in the Brecon Beacons National Park that is popular with walkers and hikers.

The service said the calls it receives can come from anywhere, from a remote beach to the middle of the Snowdonia National Park.

It can often be difficult to detect where people are automatically, which officials said could mean the difference between life and death.

Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “The what3words technology has proven to be such a valuable tool since we launched it in March, helping us to locate 100 ill or injured people in remote locations who otherwise we would have struggled to find.

“With the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, we’re anticipating more visitors to Wales than ever before, which is why we would invite the public to download this free app now in order to save precious time in an emergency.”

Data from 15 services shows the vast amount of cases where what3words addresses have been used, with road traffic accidents, locating vulnerable people and breathing difficulties cited as being amongst the most common reasons.

The importance of immediate care is most apparent in cardiac arrest patients when every minute without treatment reduces chances of survival by 10 per cent.

Cases where the Welsh Ambulance Service has used the app to find people needing help include:

• Laura Moreton used the what3words to help services locate her after she fell during a rural walk with her boyfriend and suffered a spinal fracture. The service’s Hazardous Area Response Team were called and located her quickly thanks to the three words she gave them.
• Locating Sarah Finch, who had come off her bike and dislocated her elbow whilst riding along Wales Coastal Path in Pembrey.
• The rescue of Frankie Greenwood when her car was stuck in rising floodwater in a rural lane after the river burst its banks

Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, said: “A 999 call could be one of the worst times of your life.

“Having to provide additional directions when you’re under immense stress and the clock is ticking is something that we want everyone to avoid.

“You never know when an emergency might happen, but with what3words, you’ll always be able to say exactly where help is needed – quickly and easily.

“We’re proud of the huge growth we’ve seen, and every what3words rescue that we hear about touches our team personally.”

The app is free to download for both iOS and Android and works 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.