Emergency Services in the DACH region adopting what3words at pace – saving time, resources and lives

16/10/2025

The fundamental challenge of locating people quickly during critical situations, especially in remote areas like forests or fields, or in large buildings where traditional addresses do not always point to the correct entrance, is a persistent obstacle for emergency services. That’s why control rooms have access to a variety of different tools and technologies which help them to identify callers’ locations – including what3words, which is gaining significant momentum among emergency services across the DACH region.

What is what3words?

what3words’ innovative location technology provides a simple, accurate, and memorable way to talk about location. It has divided the world into a grid of 3 metre x 3 metre squares, assigning each one a unique combination of three words, known as a what3words address. This means every front door to an apartment complex, spot along a hiking trail, parking space and stadium entrance has its own what3words address. For example, ///spades.pines.spending pinpoints a specific spot in Munich’s Olympic Park with stunning views overlooking the Olympic Tower – the perfect way to arrange a meet-up with a friend.

The system is designed for human communication, making it easy to find, share and navigate exactly where you want to go what3words works offline using the device’s GPS, which is critical for remote areas with poor or no cellular signal. A built-in error detection feature prevents confusion, as similar sounding what3words addresses are placed far apart, making it obvious if a typo or miscommunication has occurred.

A wave of adoption across the DACH region

As of September 2025, over a third (37.5%) of Germany’s emergency control centres now utilise the technology, covering approximately 27 million people through integrations with major Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems like iSE Cobra and Hexagon OnCall and teams using the what3words mapsite in their control rooms. This momentum is also mirrored in Austria and Switzerland, with adoption increasing among key regional control centers and specialist rescue teams like the Vorarlberg Red Cross and Aargau Canton Police. 6, 19 The system is also being adopted by breakdown services, including ARCD in Germany, and the Austrian automobile club ÖAMTC, which use it to quickly locate members who cannot provide an exact address during a car breakdown. 12, 19

what3words’ utility is also being recognised for high-traffic public spaces and at large events. The Olympic Stadium in Munich, as well as the Uber Arena and Uber Platz in Berlin use what3words to help visitors find their way more efficiently, listing key what3words addresses for locations like entrances, car parks, and taxi drop-off points. 1, 2, 19 Similarly, what3words addresses have been provided for key locations and accessible entrances at Oktoberfest in Munich, simplifying navigation for attendees in a large, crowded festival environment, or to easily communicate the location of an emergency. 3, 14

This widespread adoption is supported by testimonials from professionals who have experienced the benefits firsthand:

Name & Title Organisation Quote (German) Quote (English)
Peter Palsbröker, Head of the Control Centre Feuerwehr Bielefeld „Wenn wir eine Dreiwortadresse bekommen, ist für uns die Frage nach dem Standort sofort geklärt. Selbst wenn es keine postalische Adresse ist, sondern ein Einsatz auf einem Feld oder in einem Wald, können wir die Fahrzeuge ganz genau dorthin lenken.” 19 “If we get a three-word address, the question of the location is immediately clarified for us. Even if it’s not a postal address but an operation in a field or a forest, we can direct the vehicles precisely to that location.”
Christian Drexler, Chief Inspector Munich Police “Sagen wir, ich habe einen Fahrradplatten im Perlacher Forst. Mit drei Wörtern kann ich meinen genauen Standort freigeben und verhindere so eine lange Suchaktion. Es geht schneller, wenn mir jemand am Telefon einfach drei Wörter sagt und ich diese im System eingeben kann.” 14 “Let’s say I have a flat tire in the Perlach Forest. With just three words, I can share my exact location and thus avoid a lengthy search. It’s faster if someone just tells me three words on the phone and I can enter them into the system.”
Rainer Kimmel, Deputy Head of the Control Centre (Fire Department Section) ILS Ingolstadt „Der Einsatz von neuen Technologien, wie z. B. what3words, hilft uns, unsere Arbeit deutlich effizienter zu gestalten und Menschenleben zu retten.” 19 “The use of new technologies, such as what3words, helps us make our work significantly more efficient and save lives.”
Sven Müller, Head of Service for the Bavarian State Association Bavarian State Association – Johanniter „Es kommt immer wieder vor, dass neue Gebäude oder Baugebiete noch nicht in die offiziellen Pläne eingefügt worden sind. Hier können wir dennoch über what3words punktgenau unseren Einsatzort finden.” 19 “It happens again and again that new buildings or construction areas have not yet been included in the official plans. Here, we can still use what3words to find our exact location.”
Susanne Tischmann, Head of Technology ÖAMTC (Austria) „Oft wissen unsere Mitglieder im Notfall nicht genau, wo sie sich befinden, oder können keine exakte Adresse angeben. Mit what3words können wir den Standort unkompliziert herausfinden und unseren Pannendienst mit genauen Angaben losschicken.” 19 “Often, our members don’t know their exact location in an emergency or can’t provide an exact address. With what3words, we can easily find the location and send our breakdown service with precise information.”
Jörg Holzapfel, Head of the Integrated Control Center ILS Oberland “Über Funk lassen sich drei Wörter besser mitteilen als die Zahlenreihe.” 15 “Three words are easier to communicate over the radio than a string of numbers.”
David Pichler, Regional Director Bergwacht Chiemgau „Wir haben das mit der Leitstelle so vereinbart, dass, wenn die Koordinaten kommen, wir diese über w3w übermittelt bekommen. Es ist viel weniger fehleranfällig und leicht zu bedienen.” 16 “We’ve arranged it with the control center so that when the coordinates arrive, we receive them via what3words. It’s much less error-prone and easy to use.”
Janine Gozzi, Director Vorarlberg Red Cross „Diese App ermöglicht es den RFL-Mitarbeitern, den Standort des Notruf-Absetzers zu ermitteln – egal ob in der Stadt, in den Bergen, auf dem See oder mitten im Wald. Die drei Worte sind einfach zu kommunizieren – einfacher als herkömmliche Koordinatenangaben. Die Genauigkeit ist dabei, wie auch bei anderen Verfahren, abhängig von Endgerät und Empfang.” 6 “This app enables RFL employees to determine the location of the emergency call dispatcher – whether in the city, in the mountains, on a lake, or in the middle of the forest. The three words are easy to communicate – easier than conventional coordinates. As with other methods, the accuracy depends on the device and reception.”

Real-life rescue stories

Across the DACH region, what3words is proving its value by enabling faster and more accurate rescues in a variety of challenging environments. From the vast forests of Germany to the treacherous alpine trails of Austria and Switzerland, the technology is changing the outcomes of real-world emergencies. Below are some examples:

  • Ambulance stuck in snow, Schwandorf : An ambulance transporting a surgical emergency patient to the hospital became stuck deep in the snow, nearly tipping over and sliding down a slope. The Integrated Control Centre Oberpfalz-Nord used what3words to direct fire brigades, Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) and Bergwacht (Mountain Rescue) to the exact spot so the patient could be transferred to the hospital quickly and safely. 5
  • Senior rescue, Brüggen : A 79-year-old woman in an electric wheelchair became stranded in the Bracht Forest, but was unable to indicate her exact location in the woods. The Viersen District Control Center pinpointed her position using what3words, enabling police and fire services to find her quickly. 17
  • Mountain biker accident, Alzenau: An 82-year old mountain biker suffered a serious fall on the Domina Trail near Dörsthof. The Untermain Integrated Control Centre received a what3words address from the patient, allowing fire brigades, ambulance, and helicopter crews to reach the injured biker without delay. 18
  • Alpine Rescue, Seealpsee: British hiker, Sarah Robert, fell 60 feet down a ravine while hiking in the Swiss Alps. Her nephew, Ed Farnworth, used the what3words app to get their precise location and gave emergency services the address: ///crabmeat.hers.froze . The emergency services sent a helicopter to the exact spot within 25 minutes, which saved Sarah’s life given her serious injuries. Sarah later stated that without the app, she doesn’t know how she would have received the help she needed. 7
    • The Vorarlberg Red Cross (Austria) has documented powerful rescue examples such as:
      • Mountain Biker: A mountain biker who had an accident on a goods road in the First area was quickly located with the app, allowing a rescue helicopter to reach him before dark. 6
      • Injured Hiker: A hiker who was injured on a trail between Lech and Formarinsee was also quickly located, allowing the mountain rescue team to get to them without delay. 6

      The integration of what3words by control rooms across the DACH region is not just a trend – it’s a fundamental shift in how emergency services tackle the challenge of locating people quickly and accurately. With over a third of Germany’s emergency control centers now utilizing the technology and high-profile partners and venues such as ÖAMTC, DRK-Bergwacht, Uber Arena and Oktoberfest relying on it daily, the momentum is growing.

      Stories from police, fire, and mountain rescue professionals across the region confirm that in critical moments, what3words addresses can be a simple, less error-prone, and fast way to communicate locations. From finding a senior stranded in a vast forest to coordinating a helicopter rescue in the Swiss Alps, what3words is consistently demonstrating its value in saving precious time, resources and lives.

Learn more

Works cited

  1. what3words – Uber Arena https://www.uber-arena.de/en/visit/inclusion/what3words
  2. Getting There – Uber Platz https://www.uber-platz.de/en/getting-there
  3. Barrier-free access to the large Oktoberfest tents at a glance https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/information/service-visitors/barrier-free-access-large-oktoberfest-tents-glance
  4. What3Words : r/Rettungsdienst – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Rettungsdienst/comments/1mxii3m/what3words/
  5. Rettungswagen im Schnee gerettet: Einsatz in Schwandorf – OberpfalzECHO https://www.oberpfalzecho.de/beitrag/rettungswagen-im-schnee-gerettet-einsatz-in-schwandorf
  6. what3words – Rotes Kreuz https://www.roteskreuz.at/vorarlberg/news/aktuelles/what3words
  7. Aunt who fell 60ft down mountain has life saved by mobile phone … https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/aunt-who-fell-60ft-down-33244564
  8. W3W – What3Words · ICAR – International Commission for Alpine Rescue https://www.alpine-rescue.org/articles/533–w3w-what3words
  9. Leitstelle nutzt neues System: Hilfe holen mit 3 Wörtern https://www.welleniederrhein.de/artikel/leitstelle-nutzt-neues-system-hilfe-holen-mit-3-woertern-2317913.html
  10. Drei Worte für ein Leben – Kreisleitstelle Viersen nutzt innovative … https://rheinischer-spiegel.de/drei-worte-fuer-ein-leben-kreisleitstelle-viersen-nutzt-innovative-app-zur-punktgenauen-ortung-in-notfaellen/
  11. “What3words” – mit 3 Wörtern deinen genauen Standort beschreiben … https://feuerwehr-rodenberg.de/2021/06/01/what3words-mit-3-woertern-deinen-genauen-standort-beschreiben/
  12. what3words – drei Worte für genaue Standorte – https://www.arcd.de/w3w/
  13. Visitor Information https://www.olympiapark.de/en/the-olympic-park/visitors-information
  14. Nur drei Wörter: Dieses Ortungssystem soll bei der Orientierung auf der Wiesn helfen – https://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/muenchen/oktoberfest/nur-drei-woerter-dieses-ortungssystem-soll-bei-der-orientierung-auf-der-wiesn-helfen-art-1081485
  15. „aufsatz.solange.mütze“: Drei Wörter, die Leben retten – Wie Einsatzkräfte eine neuartige App nutzen – https://www.merkur.de/bayern/leitstelle-drei-wort-adresse-leben-retten-einsatzkraefte-app-what3words-berg-gelaende-93526794.html
  16. Zeit des Koordinatenvorlesens ist vorbei: Bergwacht hat perfektes System gefunden – https://www.bgland24.de/bgland/region-bad-reichenhall/chiemgau-bergwacht-hat-mit-what-words-perfektes-system-gefunden-93545793.html
  17. Polizei findet dank Handy-App in Not geratene Seniorin – https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/viersen/brueggen-polizei-findet-dank-handy-app-in-not-geratene-seniorin_aid-131243727
  18. Einsatz vor der Einweihung: Schwerverletzter Mountainbiker auf Domina-Trail – Feuerwehren Michelbach, Kälberau und Hörstein im Einsatz – https://www.kfv-ab.de/index.php/news/nachrichten/nachrichten/einsatz-vor-der-einweihung-schwerverletzter-mountainbiker-auf-domina-trail-feuerwehren-michelbach-kaelberau-und-hoerstein-im-einsatz?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  19. Schnellere Reaktionszeiten mit präzisen Standortangaben – https://what3words.com/de/business/emergency