City and provincial police enhancing search and rescue with What3Words app

By Richard Coffin

Area police are now using an app to help locate lost or missing hikers, snowshoers, sledders, or anyone venturing out on trails or into remote areas.

Officials say the North Bay OPP have been successfully using the What3Words app, with the North Bay Police Service adopting it to further expand the program.

They say the app assigns a unique combination of three words to every 3-metre square in the world, allowing people to relay their exact location instantly to emergency services, to help reach them faster.

“What3Words is a simple tool that can make a big difference in emergency situations,” says A/Deputy Jeff Warner, of the North Bay Police Service. “Response time is critical in emergencies, and if we can locate people quicker, it can be lifesaving when someone is lost or in danger in a remote area.”

Police say knowing a person’s precise location can be critical, adding dispatchers often face challenges pinpointing a caller’s exact location, particularly in emergencies where there is no street address or obvious landmark.

“The OPP has seen firsthand how the What3Words app helps locate people quickly in moments of distress,” said Cst. Kyler Brouwer, Community Engagement / Media Relations Officer of the OPP North Bay. “Giving dispatchers your three-word address provides an exact location and allows emergency responders to get to you as fast as possible.”

The app is free to download.  To learn more visit: https://what3words.com/how-to-use-the-what3words-app

City and provincial police encourage everyone heading outdoors to download the app and familiarize themselves with it before going on trails or into remote areas.

Richard Coffinhttps://www.mynorthbaynow.com/Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years.  From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.