Horse riders urged to download life-saving phone app
HORSE RIDERS are being encouraged to download a “lifesaving” app which could help emergency services find them after an accident.
The What3Words app has been helping rescue services find not just horses and riders but runners, cyclists and walkers who need help since it was released last year, and it has now become a key part of operations for ambulance crews in Yorkshire.
“Having this type of technology integrated within our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) system has changed the way we are able to deal with incidents where the location isn’t known,” said Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s head of EOC service development, Trevor Baldwin.
The app, which is free to download for iOS and Android, also works offline, which makes it particularly valuable for riders in remote areas. The technology was piloted with rescue units last year and now more than 80 per cent of the UK’s emergency services, including coastguards, are using it.
“Asking people questions about their location when they have little knowledge of an area takes time and responses aren’t always that accurate. Asking for a what3words address or sending an SMS so they can easily provide their three-word address means we can save valuable time locating incidents,” said Mr Baldwin.
The app works by using a grid of three-metre by three-metre squares and giving each square a unique combination of three words which gives an exact location. Data from 15 services show it has been used in more than 3,000 999 calls.
The team behind the app launched this week’s #KnowExactlyWhere campaign backed by emergency services.
“We are keen to spread the word about the benefits of what3words, which is now being used by all the emergency services in Yorkshire, and would encourage everyone to download the app,” said Mr Baldwin.