How you can help crews locate incidents quickly

We are reminding residents of the benefits of using the What 3 Words app to provide us with a precise location when reporting incidents, particularly if in remote locations.

At 9.15pm on Friday 3 April, we received a report of a man who had fallen into a water-filled ditch on Newton Hurst Lane, Dapple Heath, near Abbots Bromley.

The caller gave us a What 3 Words reference, which helped crews locate the man and rescue him quickly. The man appeared to be suffering the effects of exposure to immersion in cold water and was taken to hospital by paramedics.

At 11.15pm on Saturday 4 April, we received a report of a fire in the Nethertown area near Rugeley. The caller was unfamiliar with the area but used the What 3 Words app to provide crews with a precise location.

Crew Manager at Abbots Bromley Fire Station, Gary Fox, said: “The What 3 Words app is invaluable for helping us locate incidents quickly and can save crucial time in an ongoing incident.

“For the gentleman in the water, time was definitely of the essence, as he was not visible from the road to any passing traffic.”

Abbots Bromley Fire Station is an on-call fire station, so our crew is alerted to attend incidents from home or work. If you live or work in Abbots Bromley and would be interested in joining the crew, you can contact Station Manager John Kitchener john.kitchener@staffordshirefire.gov.uk , or visit the station on Goose Lane every Monday between 6pm and 9pm when the crew will be training.

You can find more information about the role on our website here -
https://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/careers/on-call-firefighters/.