Have you ever received a letter addressed to somebody else? Have you gone round in circles looking for a particular building in an unfamiliar city? Maybe you’ve gotten stuck halfway up Mount Everest? That’s exactly what happened to Robert Ward and his wife as they were hiking in the Himalayas. When Robert’s wife fell and hit her head, he called emergency services and was told to download an app called what3words. Within minutes, he was able to give emergency services his precise location. A helicopter was then able to find the couple and transport them safely to hospital. We’ll be discussing what3words in today’s article: what it is, how it works, and why it could come in handy for Lifeline alarm users.
What Is what3words?
what3words is a mobile app which assigns a unique address to every location in the world. The app’s creators divided the globe into three metre squares and assigned three different words to each square. For example, ‘tolls.wiring.weds’ marks the gates of Buckingham Palace while ‘rarely.spun.skips’ marks the front door of 10 Downing Street. The developers claim that what3words is more accurate that postal addresses and more memorable than GPS coordinates. Since its creation, the app has become popular among tourists, festival-goers, and emergency services among many others. What’s more, the Mongolian postal service has adopted what3words as an integral part of its operations.
How Does what3words Work?
In short, what3words gives every point on the globe a memorable address. It works by dividing the world into 57 trillion squares and assigning each square a unique combination of three words. Users can download the app for their mobile phones. The phone’s GPS can give you the address of your current location, or of any other point on the map.
Those who have used what3words in emergency situations have called it life-saving. If someone does not have the what3words app, emergency services can send them a link to download it. Downloading the app does require an internet connection, but luckily the vast majority of the UK is has a 4G signal. What’s more, no internet connection is necessary when it comes to actually using the app to view locations and addresses.
How Could what3words Help Lifeline Alarm Users?
Many UK emergency services will encourage 999 callers to use what3words in emergency situations. You can share your three word address over the phone on a 999 call and this will allow the call handler to send assistance to your precise location. This can save time in medical emergencies, when precious minutes can make all the difference. You may wish to download what3words if you are prone to falls, for example, or if you enjoy walking in the Great British countryside where landmarks and signposts may be few and far between. You never know when you might need to call for assistance.
Concerned About Your Safety?
Are you worried about falling at home? Are you concerned for the safety of an elderly or disabled loved one? LifeConnect24 can help. Our life-saving personal alarm service gives you and your loved ones peace of mind. We can help our customers stay independent in their homes, safe in the knowledge that help can be summoned at the touch of a button. If one of our alarm users has a fall or feels unwell, they simply need to press the button on their pendant. They will immediately be connected to our 24/7 Emergency Response Team, who will assess the situation and organise whatever help is necessary.
You can order your new alarm online today, or call 0800 999 0400 to speak with our friendly Customer Service team. Alternatively, fill in our Contact Us form online and we will get in touch with you as soon as we can.
To find out more about our service, why not read our helpful guide to personal alarms?
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