We got 911 emergency service in something like 2001 where I grew up in upstate (rural) New York. At the time, we had somewhat strange addresses, from living on what were essentially parceled-out farms. (Mine was actually 386-I on my road name.) Nothing as hopelessly bizarre as your UK adresses (Strompwiffle under Wardrobe, Whingeing, Pancake, W601-!!) , but still a little off. So they simply gave us new addresses. That was it, you just didn't live at 386-I anymore, you lived at 249. Bam. Done. Though currently, in our fairly well-funded fire-EMS response station, we still rely on giant metal binders full of hand-drawn and indexed maps, drawn by each fire station of their own area. In all honesty, these are quite good and usable, in the passenger seat of a speeding ambulance or engine. (We don't do one-person responses, though, unless you are a Battalion Chief or similar...)