Three words for a faster emergency response | what3words (2024)

How do I use what3words in an emergency?

1. Find the 3 word address for your current location on the free what3words app for iOS and Android . It works offline – ideal for areas with unreliable data connection.
2. Share your 3 word address over the phone to the call handler.
3. The emergency service can then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.

What is what3words?

what3words has divided the globe into 3m squares and given each one a unique 3 word address. It means everywhere can be located with just three words. For example ///kite.chats.dine will take you to a precise spot in a field next to the River Ouse in York. what3words is available as a free app for iOS and Android and online map at map.what3words.com. You can find out more about what3words here .

Is my local service using what3words?

The 101 emergency services who have confirmed they are using and accepting 3 word addresses are:

Police

• Avon & Somerset Police
• Bedfordshire Police
• British Transport Police
• Cambridgeshire Police
• Cleveland Police
• Cumbria Police
• Derbyshire Police
• Devon & Cornwall Police
• Dorset Police
• Durham Police
• Essex Police
• Gloucestershire Police
• Greater Manchester Police
• Guernsey Police
• Gwent Police
• Hampshire Police
• Hertfordshire Police
• Humberside Police
• Isle of Man Police
• Jersey Police
• Kent Police
• Lancashire Police
• Lincolnshire Police
• The Metropolitan Police Service
• Norfolk Police
• Northamptonshire Police
• Nottinghamshire Police
• North Yorkshire Police
• North Wales Police
• Northumbria Police
• Police Scotland
• South Yorkshire Police
• South Wales Police
• Suffolk Police
• Surrey Police
• Sussex Police
• Warwickshire Police
• West Mercia Police
• West Yorkshire Police
• Wiltshire Police

Fire & rescue

• Avon Fire & Rescue
• Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue
• Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue
• Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue
• Cheshire Fire & Rescue
• Cleveland Fire & Rescue
• Cornwall Fire & Rescue
• Cumbria Fire & Rescue
• Derbyshire Fire & Rescue
• Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue
• Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue
• Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue
• East Sussex Fire & Rescue
• Essex Fire & Rescue
• Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue
• Guernsey Fire & Rescue
• Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue
• Humberside Fire & Rescue
• Isle of Man Fire & Rescue
• Kent Fire & Rescue Service
• Lancashire Fire & Rescue
• Leicestershire Fire & Rescue
• Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue
• London Fire Brigade
• Merseyside Fire & Rescue
• Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue
• Norfolk Fire & Rescue
• North Wales Fire & Rescue
• North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
• Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue
• Northumberland Fire & Rescue
• Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue
• Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue
• Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue
• Scottish Fire & Rescue
• Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service
• South Wales Fire & Rescue
• South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
• Staffordshire Fire & Rescue
• Suffolk Fire & Rescue
• Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue
• Warwickshire Fire & Rescue
• West Midlands Fire & Rescue
• West Sussex Fire & Rescue
• West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

Ambulance

• East Midlands Ambulance Service
• East of England Ambulance Service
• Isle of Man Ambulance Service
• Isle of Wight Ambulance
• London Ambulance Service
• North East Ambulance Service
• North West Ambulance Service
• Scottish Ambulance Service
• South East Coast Ambulance Service
• South Central Ambulance
• South Western Ambulance Service
• St John Emergency Ambulance Guernsey
• Welsh Ambulance Service
• West Midlands Ambulance Service
• Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Other Organisations

• UK Coastguard

If your local service isn’t on this list, you can reach out and ask them if they’ve heard of what3words. Remember: always gather as much location information as you can in an emergency in case 3 word addresses aren’t accepted.