Dispatchers for the City of Stratford along with 911 dispatchers in multiple other municipalities are set to use a new location technology called what3words.
Citizens are encouraged to download the app, which aims to help people who are lost or unable to communicate their location to emergency dispatchers.
The municipalities of North Perth, Perth East, West Perth, portions of South Perth, and the Town of St. Marys are also using the technology.
The app uses a unique combination of words that will help identify a location. A what3words address has been assigned to every three-metre squared worldwide.
For example, the combination of ///frizz.empty.blot would direct dispatchers to the rear door of Stratford City Hall.
The free app also works offline, is available in 60 languages, and does not store or track the data of users.
The app had been used to rescue people trapped in flood waters, kidnap victims, and critically injures hikers and cyclists.
In an emergency where the caller is in a difficult-to-describe location, their what3words address can be given instead and people who do not havbe the app installed will be sent a link to the mobile version of the site. The app only requires a GPS signal to display the location.
