The Gwinnett Emergency Call Center has recently implemented a geo-location tool called What 3 Words to assist in finding callers in locations where there are no roads or specific mailing addresses.
“This ability is imperative to providing quick response times to someone in need of emergency services,” a news release announcing the tool states.
According to the county, What 3 Words is an app and a website that has divided the world into three-meter squares. Each three-meter square has been given a unique combination of three words, and a precise location anywhere in Gwinnett County can be determined with just those specific words. For example, the three words used for a three-meter square near E. E. Robinson Park and Gold Mine Drive in Sugar Hill are coefficient, impolite and diligently.
The What 3 Words app can be downloaded for free to any smart device and can be accessed online at what3words.com.
“Finding people who have become lost can be time consuming and require multiple resources. In an emergency, every minute counts,” the new releases states. “The implementation of What 3 Words allows Gwinnett emergency dispatchers to precisely locate someone, whether they’re in a park, around Lake Lanier, or any other undeveloped natural area in the county using the unique three words of the location from the application.”
What 3 Words is a supplemental tool — it is not a replacement for other means of locating callers that are currently used, the news release states.
