13/11/2019

To find you more easily in an emergency, many UK Emergency Services are encouraging you to share your 3 word address.

How do I use what3words in an emergency?

  1. Find the 3 word address for your current location on the free what3words app for iOS and Android . It works offline – ideal for areas with unreliable data connection.
  2. Share your 3 word address over the phone to the call handler.
  3. The emergency service can then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.

What is what3words?

what3words has divided the globe into 3m squares and given each one a unique 3 word address. It means everywhere can be located with just three words. For example ///kite.chats.dine will take you to a precise spot in a field next to the River Ouse in York. what3words is available as a free app for iOS and Android and online map at map.what3words.com. You can find out more about what3words here .

Is my local service using what3words?

The 101 emergency services who have confirmed they are using and accepting 3 word addresses are:

Police

  • Avon & Somerset Police
  • Bedfordshire Police
  • British Transport Police
  • Cambridgeshire Police
  • Cleveland Police
  • Cumbria Police
  • Derbyshire Police
  • Devon & Cornwall Police
  • Dorset Police
  • Durham Police
  • Essex Police
  • Gloucestershire Police
  • Greater Manchester Police
  • Guernsey Police
  • Gwent Police
  • Hampshire Police
  • Hertfordshire Police
  • Humberside Police
  • Isle of Man Police
  • Jersey Police
  • Kent Police
  • Lancashire Police
  • Lincolnshire Police
  • The Metropolitan Police Service
  • Norfolk Police
  • Northamptonshire Police
  • Nottinghamshire Police
  • North Yorkshire Police
  • North Wales Police
  • Northumbria Police
  • Police Scotland
  • South Yorkshire Police
  • South Wales Police
  • Suffolk Police
  • Surrey Police
  • Sussex Police
  • Warwickshire Police
  • West Mercia Police
  • West Yorkshire Police
  • Wiltshire Police

Fire & rescue

  • Avon Fire & Rescue
  • Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue
  • Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue
  • Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue
  • Cheshire Fire & Rescue
  • Cleveland Fire & Rescue
  • Cornwall Fire & Rescue
  • Cumbria Fire & Rescue
  • Derbyshire Fire & Rescue
  • Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue
  • Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue
  • Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue
  • East Sussex Fire & Rescue
  • Essex Fire & Rescue
  • Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue
  • Guernsey Fire & Rescue
  • Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue
  • Humberside Fire & Rescue
  • Isle of Man Fire & Rescue
  • Kent Fire & Rescue Service
  • Lancashire Fire & Rescue
  • Leicestershire Fire & Rescue
  • Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue
  • London Fire Brigade
  • Merseyside Fire & Rescue
  • Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue
  • Norfolk Fire & Rescue
  • North Wales Fire & Rescue
  • North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
  • Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue
  • Northumberland Fire & Rescue
  • Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue
  • Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue
  • Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue
  • Scottish Fire & Rescue
  • Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service
  • South Wales Fire & Rescue
  • South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
  • Staffordshire Fire & Rescue
  • Suffolk Fire & Rescue
  • Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue
  • Warwickshire Fire & Rescue
  • West Midlands Fire & Rescue
  • West Sussex Fire & Rescue
  • West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

Ambulance

  • East Midlands Ambulance Service
  • East of England Ambulance Service
  • Isle of Man Ambulance Service
  • Isle of Wight Ambulance
  • London Ambulance Service
  • North East Ambulance Service
  • North West Ambulance Service
  • Scottish Ambulance Service
  • South East Coast Ambulance Service
  • South Central Ambulance
  • South Western Ambulance Service
  • St John Emergency Ambulance Guernsey
  • Welsh Ambulance Service
  • West Midlands Ambulance Service
  • Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Other Organisations

  • UK Coastguard

If your local service isn’t on this list, you can reach out and ask them if they’ve heard of what3words. Remember: always gather as much location information as you can in an emergency in case 3 word addresses aren’t accepted.