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Public commenter urges county to promote three‑word location app; officials point to existing 9‑1‑1 capabilities
Summary
A resident told the committee a three‑word global location app can pinpoint callers within 10 feet and urged outreach; staff and commissioners said the county's 9‑1‑1/Viper system already provides caller location but recommended public education and that citizens contact Karen Moore at 9‑1‑1 for details.
During public comment, a resident (Speaker 6) asked the committee to publicize a three‑word location app (referred to as 'Block 3 World' or what3words) and said the company can provide caller location to 9‑1‑1 systems and is able to locate callers to within roughly 10 feet when cell service is available.
"It can locate anybody in the county anywhere as long as they have cell phone service," the commenter said, and asked why the life‑saving program had not been more widely publicized.
9‑1‑1 and county staff responded that the county's Viper 9‑1‑1 system already pings caller locations and that the public does not need to know the app for dispatchers to find callers; staff suggested the public contact Karen Moore at 9‑1‑1 with questions and recommended the county's PIO or ENA channels could post educational information about the capability.
Why it matters: Commissioners and staff framed this as a public‑education opportunity: while the technology may provide a useful supplementary locator, officials emphasized that existing 9‑1‑1 systems already provide location data and that outreach would help rural residents (farmers, hunters, and people on back roads) understand options.
Next steps: Staff recommended the interested resident meet with Karen Moore at 9‑1‑1; communications staff and ENA suggested preparing a public post after verifying vendor interoperability with county systems.
