Which Emergency Services accept what3words for 999 and non-emergency calls
To find you more easily in an emergency, many UK and Irish Emergency Services are encouraging you to share your 3 word address.
How do I use what3words in an emergency?
- 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.
- Share your 3 word address over the phone to the call handler.
- 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 103 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
- Cheshire 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
- Merseyside 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
- Thames Valley 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
- National Ambulance Service Ireland
- North East Ambulance Service
- Northern Ireland 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.