‘It’s a Life Saver’ – BC Dispatcher Encourages Hikers and Skiers to Download New App

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VANCOUVER – As winter weather approaches, North Vancouver RCMP Emergency Dispatcher Jodie Cohan is encouraging all British Columbia residents, especially those venturing into the countryside, to download the technology. of geolocation called What3Words.

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The free app divides the world into 10-foot squares and assigns each a unique combination of three random words, allowing first responders to pinpoint the exact location of an emergency.

The North Vancouver RCMP implemented the technology last year. Cohan said they were the first RCMP service in Canada to start using the app.

“We made a big deployment about a year ago because we get a lot of calls about lost hikers and skiers, which are often time-consuming and time-sensitive, especially for the person who is injured,” he said.

“Before we had What3Words, it would take us up to 20 minutes to locate someone because we had to work with the cell phone companies and there could be up to a 500 meter radius from the general coordinates that they could provide.”

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What3Words, he said, is a way to streamline the process. Even if the person does not have the app, as long as they have cell reception, emergency services can send a link that can pinpoint the location of the caller.

“This is something that all law enforcement agencies and emergency services should use,” he said. “It saves us time, saves us lives, and allows us to move to the next 911 call as soon as they come in.”

What3Words founder and CEO Chris Sheldrick said the app can also pinpoint a person’s exact location using satellite technology without cellular service. He said this has proven useful in situations where people are traveling with other people in remote locations.

“What we have found in many cases is that a person will be injured and if someone has the app, the uninjured person can leave the person and, when they have cell reception, tell the police exactly where the person is. using the three words provided, ”he said.

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The application, which is available in more than 50 languages, is already being used in eight provinces and two territories, and has been deployed in more than 42 shipping centers. In British Columbia, BC Emergency Health Services, which dispatches all ambulance services in the province, has integrated What3Words into all of its systems.

“I hope that once the snow starts to fall on the mountains, we get more calls from off-piste skiers straying off the trail,” said Cohan, who also encourages people who plan to venture out of range of cell service to bring a satellite phone. accident case.

“I encourage everyone to get the app because in an emergency, seconds count and this tool helps us not only to help you, but to help you quickly.”