Islanders urged to use location app in emergencies

The free app uses a grid system that has divided the world up into three-by-three-metre squares

Firefighters are urging islanders to download an app on to their phones in case they need help in an emergency.

The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service said What3Words (W3W) would enable people to give emergency workers their precise location if needed.

The free app uses a grid system that has divided the world up into three-by-three-metre squares, each of which has a unique three-word address.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "If you download What3Words, you'll be ready to give us an exact location if you run into trouble."

The fire service spokesperson said "'where is the emergency?' is one of the first questions you're asked" when calling 999

The spokesperson explained: "When calling 999, ‘where is the emergency?’ is one of the first questions you’re asked, but describing exactly where help is needed can be difficult."

Tapping your location on the W3W app prompts a unique three-word descriptor of a person's location which can then be relayed to the emergency services.

On the W3W app, the fire service's headquarters is categorised as 'returns.managed.defender' while the entrance of the Jersey General Hospital is titled 'same.sprain.announce'.

The fire service's spokesperson said winter's shorter days combined with harsher weather conditions like rain, ice, sleet and fog increased the chances of people finding themselves in trouble.

They said: "Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time – whether that’s along the Five Mile Road, on a remote green lane in Grouville, or on one of our beautiful cliff paths along the north coast."

Relying on landmark-based descriptions could delay response times in life-and-death situations, they added.