NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – Getting lost while hiking or running can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when there are no identifiable landmarks to describe your location.
Faced with such situations, emergency responders across the country are turning to innovative solutions to efficiently locate and assist those who need immediate assistance.
Samuel Sims knows how easy it is to get lost on a trail.
In 2005, he – along with his daughters and the family dog - got lost while walking through Shelby Bottoms Park.
“We walked along the path and took a detour and thought it would be a shortcut,” Sims said. “And we got lost and we were trying to come back the way we came and we couldn’t imagine that was like a maze.”
Minutes turned to hours as Sims revealed he had to take turns carrying his daughters to keep them going. They eventually found their way back, but others who found themselves in a similar situation may have had to call 911 for help.
But now the dispatchers have found a solution that may prove to be life-saving.
The What 3 Words app has been adopted by emergency communications departments around the world, including Metro Nashville.
It is an aid in finding people in need.
“Once officers put it in their phones, they’ll follow the trail straight to you,” said Matthew Carter, a department instructor.
The app divides the entire world into 10ft x 10ft squares, with three unique words associated with each square. When a person calls 911, their phone number is associated with three different words that change as they move about 10 feet.
With this information, the dispatchers can relay the three words to the police, who will then enter them into the app, allowing them to pinpoint the missing person’s exact location.
This is especially valuable in areas where precise addresses do not exist, such as parks and vast wilderness areas.
“If you’re in a place that doesn’t have an exact location, like one of our parks, What 3 Words can basically give you a location,” noted Carter, emphasizing the app’s potential to save lives.
Reflecting on his own experience, Sims expressed a wish he had access to the app during his family’s ordeal.
With the What 3 Words app now available, anyone can download it for added peace of mind when exploring unfamiliar territory.
It’s worth noting, however, that even without the app, when you call 911, your phone’s location automatically generates three words that dispatchers can relay to emergency responders.
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