what 3 words

[citoyen]

From the screen shot shown it looks like the CAD systems are so shit that they are pasting the W3W address directly into the database free text field and expecting crews on the ground to use it. WTF?

 

At least this neatly gives the lie to claims that implementing AML is in any way more "problematic" than W3W for CAD systems.

[Jaded]

That page also shows an iMac running a legacy windows interface, and one screen grab with the three words in ALL.CAPITAL.LETTERS whilst the photo next to it is in.lower.case

(and the two locations are different in their images - so in their example, they haven't sent the policed to the ALL.CAPITALS.ONE)

That attention to detail doesn't fill me with confidence...

[nuttycyclist]

The other week I was climbing Glastonbury Tor.  At the bottom of the climb is a defibrillator in a box.  Instructions say to phone 999 (which obviously must be done by a mobile at that location, so will contain the clever stuff as mentioned above).  Instructions state to quote the unique reference number of the box.

Followed by a WhyThreeWords location....



If the unique reference number is given, why is a WhyThreeWords location also required?

[Kim]

Marketing?

I suppose it's possible that the defibrillator database just gives the code to unlock the box but not its location, because stupid.

[grams]

If the database doesn't work you'd have no defibrillator and no location, so it's reasonable insurance.

One would hope the location is provided in a variety of formats and not one stupid opaque commercial product that also requires a (online?) lookup.

[Lightning Phil]

Fire. Ambulance. Police. Coastguard.

I make 4 - any advance on that?

Mountain rescue

[citoyen]

I guess it is all free market forces.

"Hello, I need the Police please. Could you send me some Northumberland Police, they are much better than the Met."

You may be joking, but I wouldn't put it past our government. They've already done the same with schools, hospitals and transport.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think ambulances, though not fire brigades or police, are mostly private companies contracting to the NHS.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I don't think anyone's mentioned the other advantage of AML over systems like SARLOC or W3W: It doesn't require *any* interaction with the user, which means it works if they're unable or unwilling to speak/read/type.  Just starting an emergency call is enough.

Consider people with communication impairments or are too seriously injured to communicate; people who don't speak English; those covertly calling for help at the scene of a crime; toddlers calling 999 cos they learned it on Fireman Sam when their parent collapses, etc.

Add people that have difficulty with spelling.

I'm pretty sure it has been mentioned already in this thread, but it bears repeating.

[Jaded]

autocarrot too - is that a thing in w3w world?

[nuttycyclist]

autocarrot too - is that a thing in w3w world?

I've tried searching, but it autocarroted to autocratic
https://what3words.com/autocratic.test.work
https://what3words.com/autocratic.test.fail

[quixoticgeek]

I think ambulances, though not fire brigades or police, are mostly private companies contracting to the NHS.

Depends. London Ambulance Service (LAS), and South East Coast Ambulance Service (SEACAM) are both still NHS owned. But there is also contracting out of ambulance services to the likes of British Red Cross, St Johns Ambulance etc...

J

[nuttycyclist]

and now it seems that "local names" are getting added to the OS maps to help emergency services
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57916520

[rogerzilla]

Is W3W run by Tory groupies?  That would explain why the NHS bought into a system that is basically tits on a fish.

[Kim]

and now it seems that "local names" are getting added to the OS maps to help emergency services
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57916520

As someone who spent an unreasonable time searching the internet to work out where Pigeon Park^[1] was when I first moved to Birmingham, this seems eminently sensible.


_{[1] That's the grounds of St Philip's Cathedral, B3 2QB, ///laying.empire.games, for any emergency dispatchers reading.}

[Salvatore]

autocarrot too - is that a thing in w3w world?

I entered my full name and it autocorrected all 3 parts and located me in the Kaliningrad exclave near the Polish border.

[Cudzoziemiec]

autocarrot too - is that a thing in w3w world?

I entered my full name and it autocorrected all 3 parts and located me in the Kaliningrad exclave near the Polish border.

This seems entirely appropriate.

 

[Cudzoziemiec]

and now it seems that "local names" are getting added to the OS maps to help emergency services
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57916520

And this seems very sensible. Hopefully not just for beaches, either.

[grams]

and now it seems that "local names" are getting added to the OS maps to help emergency services
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57916520

How do they avoid this being completely Urban Dictionaryed?

“Yes, all of my friends call it that”

[Polar Bear]

Ah, lovely.

I see your Stinky Bay and raise you Ug's 'ole.  Punctuation added for clarity.

[FifeingEejit]

Another subtle dig at W3W by MRT

Call out for Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team.
Tweed Valley MRT said, “Yesterday we were called to assist with the evacuation of a Mountain Biker in the Innerleithen area who had suffered a head and shoulder injury.
The initial incident location had been established using a popular mobile phone app but this mapped to an area about 1km from the incident site - this anomaly was picked up by our incident manager as the location didn't match the description of where the casualty said they were.  Luckily the casualty party had also been able to ascertain an OS Grid reference which allowed us to deploy to the correct location.   
We would urge users of mobile phone apps to cross check the position generated by any mapping app with what they understand their location to be and not assume the generated position is 100% accurate. 
As an MRT we will always work with the information given to try and get to you as quickly and as safely as possible.  Our preference is an OS Grid reference but we can work with any other location format such as Lat/Lon, What3Words, forest marker post numbers, local mountain bike trail names or even a a physical description of where you are.”
#ScottishMR

[FifeingEejit]

No navigation app was however required to locate a heat stress casualty on An Teallach last weekend as TMRT were out there on a training exercise, and were the next group along.

Conveniently for the casualty "Slightly surprised patient to find an mrt on the hill just behind them with a paramedic and doctor. New top tip for keeping fluid cold in the heat. Frozen capri suns. Still half
frozen at 2 in the afternoon."
Friend shared that along with pictures of R151

[quixoticgeek]

No navigation app was however required to locate a heat stress casualty on An Teallach last weekend as TMRT were out there on a training exercise, and were the next group along.

Conveniently for the casualty "Slightly surprised patient to find an mrt on the hill just behind them with a paramedic and doctor. New top tip for keeping fluid cold in the heat. Frozen capri suns. Still half
frozen at 2 in the afternoon."
Friend shared that along with pictures of R151

My main hiking partner in the UK was a member of the local SAR team. We had an understanding that if we had an accident, we couldn't call out SAR, as he'd never live it down. Fortunately we never had to test this.

J

[Cudzoziemiec]

Another subtle dig at W3W by MRT

Call out for Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team.
Tweed Valley MRT said, “Yesterday we were called to assist with the evacuation of a Mountain Biker in the Innerleithen area who had suffered a head and shoulder injury.
The initial incident location had been established using a popular mobile phone app but this mapped to an area about 1km from the incident site - this anomaly was picked up by our incident manager as the location didn't match the description of where the casualty said they were.  Luckily the casualty party had also been able to ascertain an OS Grid reference which allowed us to deploy to the correct location.   
We would urge users of mobile phone apps to cross check the position generated by any mapping app with what they understand their location to be and not assume the generated position is 100% accurate. 
As an MRT we will always work with the information given to try and get to you as quickly and as safely as possible.  Our preference is an OS Grid reference but we can work with any other location format such as Lat/Lon, What3Words, forest marker post numbers, local mountain bike trail names or even a a physical description of where you are.”
#ScottishMR

From this thread, this is a major difference between mountain rescue and ambulance.

[Kim]

I'll just leave this here... https://w3w.me.ss/