The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department has partnered with What3Words to help emergency personnel locate callers quickly and accurately during emergencies. The new system is aimed at assisting residents who do not have registered addresses or who live in areas where street names and landmarks are unclear.
The What3Words system divides the world into small 3 metre by 3 metre squares, with each square assigned a unique three-word address. This allows people to communicate their exact location by simply providing three words to emergency operators.
According to the City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department, the system will particularly benefit communities such as Bronkhorstspruit, Hammanskraal, Winterveldt and informal settlements where formal addresses are limited or difficult to identify.
Instead of describing a location using nearby roads or landmarks, callers can provide a What3Words address. For example, a caller can say “bring.footwork.buttercups” to help emergency operators pinpoint their exact location immediately.
Residents can download the free What3Words app from the App Store and Google Play Store. The application is available in Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu and English to accommodate a wider range of users.
During an emergency, callers can open the app, identify their three-word address and provide it to the 107 Emergency Call Centre operator. The system allows the operator to load the precise location directly onto the emergency dispatch map, helping firefighters respond more quickly to incidents.
The app can also work offline, allowing users to identify their location without mobile data or Wi-Fi connectivity.
For residents who do not have the app installed, Emergency Services Call Centre operators can send an SMS with a secure link. Once opened, the link displays the caller’s three-word address, which can then be shared with the operator.
The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department encouraged residents to download the app and familiarise themselves with the system before emergencies occur, saying that quick access to an accurate location can save valuable time and potentially save lives.
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