COMPETENCE : Respond to a distress

signal at sea
KUP: Knowledge of the contents of the
International Aeronautical and Maritime
Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual
Methods for demonstrating competence:
Examination and assessment of evidence
obtained from practical instruction or
approved simulator training, where
appropriate
Criteria for evaluating competence: The
type and scale of the emergency is
promptly identified
 ACTIONS BY A VESSEL IN DISTRESS

CO1 Respond to a distress signal at sea

TOPIC: Actions by a vessel in Distress
2 The emergency procedures to be
observed by a vessel in distress
LO3 Demonstrate the initial actions by a
vessel in distress
TEACHER ACTIVITY CADET ACTIVITY
1. Present the
procedures to be
observed by a vessel
in Distress
GMDSS operating guidance for masters of
ships in distress situation:
FIRST
1. Is vessel sinking or to be abandoned? IF
YES
2. Transmit, if time allows, distress call by
HF/MF/VHF DSC or Inmarsat
3. Embark in survival craft with VHF, SART,
and, if possible, EPIRB
4. Switch on EPIRB and SART immediately
and leave on
SECOND
1. Is vessel sinking or to be abandoned?
IF NO
2. Is immediate help needed? IF YES
3. Transmit distress call by HF / MF / VHF
DSC or Inmarsat
4. Response received? IF YES
5. Communicate on HF / MF / VHF or
Inmarsat to RCC and ships
THIRD
1. Is vessel sinking or to be abandoned?
IF NO
2. Is immediate help needed? IF YES
3. Transmit distress call by HF / MF / VHF
DSC or Inmarsat
4. Response received? IF NO
5. Switch on EPIRB and SART manually on
board
FOURTH
1. Is vessel sinking or to be abandoned? IF
NO
2. Is immediate help needed? IF NO
3. Potential problem exists? IF YES
4. Notify RCC by HF / MF / VHF DSC or
Inmarsat
5. Response received? IF YES
6. Communicate on HF /MF / VHF or
Inmarsat to RCC and ships
FIFTH
1. Is vessel sinking or to be abandoned? IF
NO
2. Is immediate help needed? IF NO
3. Potential problem exists? IF YES
4. Notify RCC by HF / MF / VHF DSC or
Inmarsat
5. Response received? IF NO, go to step 4
until response received.
6. Communicate on HF /MF / VHF or
Inmarsat to RCC and ships
TOPIC: Actions by a vessel in Distress
3 The three spoken emergency
signals used by aircraft and
vessels
LO3 Demonstrate the initial actions by a
vessel in distress
TEACHER ACTIVITY CADET ACTIVITY
1. Present the three
emergency signal
used by vessels and
aircraft
Three spoken emergency signals are used
by aircraft and vessels:
Distress signal
1. MAYDAY (pronounced M’AIDER) this
signal indicates that a marine mobile
station is threatened by GRAVE AND
IMMINENT danger and requests
immediate assistance. A master in
distress situation should declare a
distress condition using the MAYDAY
signal.
Urgency signal
2. PAN-PAN (pronounced PAHN-PAHN) is
used when the safety of a mobile craft is
in jeopardy. The urgency signal PAN-PAN
should be used when an unsafe situation
exists that may eventually involve a need
for assistance & has priority over all but
distress traffic
Safety signal
3. SECURITY (pronounced SAY CURITAY)
is used for messages concerning safety
of navigation or giving important
meteorological warnings.

Any message headed by one of these

signals has precedence over routine
messages. The signal is usually repeated
three times at the beginning of the
message.
Routine Call
This type of alert is of the lowest
priority. This is the most common type of
alert used for contacting others on
another vessel or ashore.
After broadcasting the routine call on
selected channels or frequencies and
receive acknowledgement , voice
communication continuous on working
channel or frequency.
Basic spoken radio procedural words
which SAR personnel should understand
and use are as follows:
1. “AFFIRMATIVE” means that what a
person has transmitted is correct
2. “BREAK” is used to separate portions of
a message or one message from another
3. “FIGURES” is spoken just before
numbers are given in a message
4. “I SPELL” is used just before a phonetic
spelling, such as of a proper name
5. “NEGATIVE” means ‘‘no’’
6. “OUT” indicates the end of a
transmission when no reply is expected
or required
7. “OVER” indicates the end of a
transmission when an immediate reply is
expected
8. “ROGER” means ‘‘I have received your
transmission satisfactorily’’
9. “SILENCE” is said three times and
means ‘‘cease all transmissions
immediately’’
10. “SILENCE FINI”(pronounced SEE
LONSS FEE NEE) means ‘‘silence is
lifted’’, and is used to signify the end of
the emergency and resumption of
normal traffic
11. “THIS IS” said before the station name
or call sign which immediately follows
12. “WAIT” means ‘‘I must pause for a few
seconds; stand by for further
transmission’’.
1 Frequency 156.525 MHz is used for ship-
to-ship alerting and, if within sea area
A1, for ship-to-shore alerting.
2 For ships equipped with MF/HF DSC
equipment, there is a watch requirement
on 2187.5 kHz, 8414.5 kHz, and one
other frequency.
3 Frequency 2187.5 kHz is used for ship-
to-ship alerting and, if within sea areas
A2, for ship-to-shore alerting.
4 Frequencies 156.3 and 156.8 MHz may
also be used by aircraft for safety
purposes only.
5 Frequency 121.5 MHz may be used by
ships for distress and urgency purposes.
6 The priority of use for ship–aircraft
communication is 4125 kHz. Additionally,
frequencies 123.1 MHz, 3023 kHz, and
5680 kHz may be used for
intercommunication between mobile
stations and these stations and
participating land stations engaged in
co-ordinated search and rescue
operations.
7 The international NAVTEX frequency 518
kHz is the primary frequency for the
transmission by coast stations of
maritime safety information by NBDP.
The other frequencies are used only to
augment the coverage or information
provided on 518 kHz.
8 Frequency 490 kHz cannot be used for
MSI employing NBDP transmission until
1 February 1999.
9 Frequency 4209.5 kHz is not used by all
States.