What3Words app tells emergency services exactly where you are. (Submitted photo/Parkland Ambulance)

By Teena Monteleone

What3Words

Parkland Ambulance celebrates Paramedic Services Week with launch of geo-locating app

May 25, 2021 | 3:12 PM

To say it’s been a challenging year would be an understatement, particular for those on the front lines of the pandemic.

Still, the paramedics at Parkland Ambulance in Prince Albert continue to put their patients first. Even during a week meant to celebrate their own profession, the focus is on the community. The theme of this year’s Paramedic Services Week is ‘Citizens Ready.’

“This is a chance for us to showcase the men and women of our paramedics and telecommunications team for the incredible work they’ve done this year, but also to talk about accessing 9-1-1 and other tools in our toolbox,” said Parkland’s director of public affairs, Lyle Karasiuk.

The ‘What3Words’ app is a provincial initiative that is expected to bring improvements in getting people the right help, at the right time, in the right location.

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“Say you’re hiking at Little Red park and for some reason you’ve become disorientated or injured. You grab your phone, launch the app and it will triangulate within three square meters of where you are,” said Karasiuk. “This UK company has literally mapped every part of the world with three words. So, the app will give you three words, like ‘ski’, ‘donut’ and ‘soup’ and while those words may not make sense to you, if you call 9-1-1 and let them know those words, they can help emergency services pinpoint exactly where you are.”

The app is free and available on both iOS and Android or via the online map at what3words.com and works in 40 different languages. If the caller doesn’t have the app installed, the communicator can text them a link that will automatically display three words.

The technology has already been useful to a woman who came upon a motor vehicle accident while travelling towards Northern Saskatchewan recently.

“She couldn’t remember the last highway sign she went by. She thought she was near Anglin Lake, but ended up being way further north. She used the What3Words app and our crews on their mobile device were able to follow the blinking dots to her locations,” said Karasiuk.

Karasiuk said a municipal address is still the best way to ensure a quick emergency response within the city, but the app will make a big difference for people in rural areas where landmarks aren’t available. It also works offline, making it useful for rural areas with poor internet connection.

“It allows us to be more accurate in where you are and has a better global reach.”

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Editors Note: Lyle Karasiuk from Parkland Ambulance issued this clarification to paNOW: When your emergency medical call is transferred from 9-1-1 to the emergency medical dispatcher who is located in one of the three medical communication centers located in Prince Albert, Saskatoon or Regina, a telecommunications specialist might use What3Words to assist in locating you.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MonteleoneTeena