Wood Buffalo 911 dispatchers use geolocation technology to direct firefighters to Anzac ice rescue

Three words helped lead Anzac firefighters to the scene of an ice rescue earlier this month.

On Jan. 9, a woman broke through the ice on Whiskey Lake, a small, secluded water body near the community. She initially wasn’t able to lift herself out of the water but was able to reach her mobile phone.

Regional Emergency Services (RES) dispatchers sent her a text message link using EmergencyLocate, a dispatch program that when integrated with the What3Words geocode system can locate callers within a 3-metre radius by encoding geographic coordinates into three words.

Once dispatchers had those three critical words, the Anzac Volunteer Fire Department was quickly directed to her exact location. Firefighters reached the scene on snowmobiles. Shortly before firefighters arrived she was able to break her way out from the ice and onto land.

Caution advised on ice covered lakes and rivers

Regional Emergency Services would like to thank its dispatchers and Anzac volunteer firefighters for their professionalism and quick actions in this rescue.

Caution is always advised before walking on a frozen lake or river. Ice thickness is variable depending on many factors, including water movement, snow cover and temperature changes.

When hiking outdoors, always inform friends and family of your plans, location and timelines.