Emergencies can happen anywhere, from an incident at a remote hiking spot to an accident on the side of a highway. Identifying precisely where help is needed can be nearly impossible if you’re in a location with no address, or if an address covers a large area.
The Versaterm CAD now supports what3words, a technology which has divided the world into 3 metre squares and given each square a unique identifier made of three random words: a what3words address. For example, ///conclude.pulp.measure is the exact entrance for Versaterm’s Head Office in Ottawa. Versaterm’s integration with what3words gives public safety agencies the ability to quickly deliver the necessary emergency help and resources to a caller’s exact location.
In an emergency, callers can simply recite the three words to the call taker who will be able to verify their location and enter the what3words address directly into the Versaterm CAD. Additionally, what3words addresses can be entered into the search bar of the Versaterm MapViewer software and its integrated map. what3words is also displayed in the Location Info area, and at the bottom of the MapViewer screen. First responders can then navigate to exactly where help is needed.
Whether a caller is on a mountain, in an unmarked field, or on a dark city street, the Versaterm CAD and what3words give you the ability to save both valuable time and lives, delivering services and the proper resources to any place, any spot, anywhere!
About what3words
what3words addresses cover the entire world and can be used in over 40 languages. what3words is used by all emergency services in Australia, over 85% of emergency control rooms in the UK, and a growing number of forces in the US, Canada, South Africa, India and Western Europe. It is also used by location-based services (private, government, and commercial) across the globe. Addresses by what3words are easy to say & share, and they are as accurate as GPS coordinates. The system also works offline, making it ideal for use in remote areas with an unreliable data connection.
When callers struggle to describe their location, what3words helps them say exactly where they are, saving precious time. Members of the public can find their what3words address on the free app or through a FindMe link sent via SMS by call handler teams.
For more information on what3words, please reach out to a member of their partnership team. Gregoire (gregoire@what3words.com) will be able to help with questions from Canadian Emergency Services and Ashley (ashley@what3words.com) will be able to help those in the US.
