Canadian Coast Guard

Distress Situations and Alerting of SAR Authorities

In 1992, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) prepared a flow chart providing GMDSS operating guidance for masters of ships in distress situations (COM/Circ.108). It was recommended that this chart be displayed on the ship's bridge.

Later, another circular (MSC/Circ.892) was prepared to strongly emphasize the importance for ships to alert SAR authorities at the earliest possible moment in any situation that may involve a danger to life or that has the potential of developing into such a situation.

The following is for the mariner’s information and guidance:

GMDSS Operating Guidance for Masters of Ships in Distress Situations and;

Alerting the Search and Rescue Authorities

Alerting the Search and Rescue Authorities (MSC/Circ.892)

The need for the earliest possible alerting of the search and rescue (SAR) co-ordination authority to maritime emergencies cannot be over-emphasized.

It is essential to enable shore-based facilities to respond without delay to any situation which constitutes, or has the potential to constitute, a danger to life. Time lost in the initial stages of an incident may be crucial to its eventual outcome. It cannot be regained.

Factors to be considered include position (in relation to hazards and to shore-based or other SAR units); time of day; weather conditions (actual & forecast); the number of persons at risk or potentially at risk; specific assistance required, etc.

It is always best to consider the 'worstcase scenario' and to alert the SAR organisation accordingly. Depending on the circumstances, the coordinating authority may choose to alert or despatch SAR facilities as a precautionary measure and/or to reduce transit times. If assistance is not subsequently required, any such positive response can be easily curtailed. But time lost through delays in notification can never be regained.

It is therefore essential that the SAR co-ordinating authority be informed immediately of:

all maritime SAR incidents;

any situation which may develop into a SAR incident; and

any incident which may involve or lead to danger to life, the environment or to property which may require action from the SAR services and/or other authorities.

Operating guidance for masters of ships in distress or urgency situations*

The following diagram shows standard procedures for distress/urgency message routeing. It is for guidance only, and does not preclude the use of any and all available means of distress alerting.

* To be considered in conjunction with IMO publication 969 - GMDSS Operating Guidance for Masters of Ships in Distress Situations (COM/Circ.108 of 23 January 1992).

Operation guidance for masters of ships observing another vessel apparently in danger

The following diagram shows suggested procedures for reporting concerns about the safety of another vessel (fire, smoke, adrift, navigating towards a danger, etc.).

Note: For local JRCC contact information, refer to section SEARCH AND RESCUE IN CANADIAN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY (Part 4 of this publication).

False Distress Alerts and Distress Relay Alerts

The GMDSS has been in force for ships on international voyages since February 1, 1999, following its seven-year phase-in. During this time, considerable experience was gained internationally in the operation of the GMDSS. While the GMDSS has proven its overall effectiveness, the high number of accidental distress alert activations and the inappropriate and unintended Digital Selective Calling (DSC) distress relay alerts have detracted from the efficiency of the system. Excessive false alerts and distress relay alerts can create an unnecessary burden and workload for SAR services. They may also cause confusion and undermine mariner’s confidence in the GMDSS. They could potentially have a serious impact on real distress situations.

With the aim of minimizing the number of false alerts and distress alert relays, the following information is provided:

“Instructions for Mariners and Others on How to Cancel a False Alert” (appendix to IMO Resolution A.814(19) entitled Guidelines for the Avoidance of False Distress Alerts)

“Procedure for Responding to DSC Distress Alerts by Ships” (COMSAR/Cir.21)

Instructions for Mariners and Others* on How to Cancel a False Distress Alert

(Appendix to IMO Resolution A.814(19))

DSC

1VHF

switch off transmitter immediately**;

switch equipment on and set to Channel 16; and

make broadcast to "All Stations" giving the ship's name, call sign and DSC number, and cancel the false distress alert.

Example

All Stations, All Stations, All Stations

This is NAME, CALL SIGN,

DSC NUMBER, POSITION.

Cancel my distress alert of

DATE, TIME UTC,

= Master NAME, CALL SIGN,

DSC NUMBER, DATE, TIME UTC

2 MF

switch off equipment immediately**;

switch equipment on and tune for radiotelephony transmission on 2182 kHz; and

make broadcast to "All Stations" giving the ship's name, call sign and DSC number, and cancel the false distress alert.

Example

All Stations, All Stations, All Stations

This is NAME, CALL SIGN,

DSC NUMBER, POSITION.

Cancel my distress alert of

DATE, TIME UTC,

= Master NAME, CALL SIGN,

DSC NUMBER, DATE, TIME UTC

* Appropriate signals should precede these messages in accordance with the ITU Radio Regulations Chapter NIX.

** This applies when the false alert is detected during transmission.

3 HF

As for MF, but the alert must be cancelled on all the frequency bands on which it was transmitted. Hence, in stage 2.2 the transmitter should be tuned consecutively to the radiotelephony distress frequencies in the 4, 6, 8, 12 and 16 MHz bands, as necessary.

4 Inmarsat-C

Notify the appropriate JRCC to cancel the alert by sending a distress priority message via the same CES through which the false distress alert was sent.

NAME, CALL SIGN, IDENTITY NUMBER,

POSITION,

Cancel my Inmarsat-C distress

alert of DATE, TIME UTC

= Master +

5 EPIRBs

If for any reason an EPIRB is activated accidentally, the ship should contact the nearest coast station or an appropriate coast earth station or JRCC and cancel the distress alert.

6 General

6.1Notwithstanding the above, ships may use any means available to them to inform the appropriate authorities that a false distress alert has been transmitted and should be cancelled.

6.2No action will normally be taken against any ship or mariner for reporting and cancelling a false distress alert. However, in view of the serious consequences of false alerts, and the strict ban on their transmission, Governments may prosecute in cases of repeated violations.

Procedure for Responding to DSC Distress Alerts by Ships

(COMSAR/Circ.25)

1 Introduction

The Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) decided that Digital Selective Calling (DSC) relays of distress alerts on all shipborne DSC equipment should be reduced and prepared a procedure for responding to VHF/MF and HF distress alerts, given in flow diagrams 1 and 2 which follow, recommending that it be displayed on the ship's bridge as A4 size posters. It also prepared the following guidance.

2 Distress relays

2.1Radio personnel serving on ships should be made aware of the consequences of transmitting a distress relay call and of routeing a DSC distress relay alert to other than coast stations (CS).

2.2The number of unintended activations of DSC distress alerts and DSC distress relay alerts creates extra work load and confusion to (M) JRCCs and also causing delay in the response-time. The original distress alert from a ship in distress should not be disrupted by other ships, by transmitting a DSC distress relay alert.

2.3Recommendation ITU-R M.541-8 on Operational procedures for the use of DSC equipment in the Maritime Mobile Service identifies only two situations in which a ship would transmit a distress relay call (distress relay alert):

on receiving a distress alert on a HF channel, which is not acknowledged by a coast station within 5 minutes. The distress relay call should be addressed to the appropriate coast station (Annex 1, paragraph 3.4.2 and Annex 3, paragraph 6.1.4); and

on knowing that another ship in distress is not itself able to transmit the distress alert and the Master of the ship considers that further help is necessary. The distress relay call should be addressed to "all ships" or to the appropriate coast station (Annex 3, paragraph 1.4).

2.4In no case is a ship permitted to transmit a DSC distress relay call on receipt of a DSC distress alert on either VHF or MF channels.

2.5Distress relay calls on HF channels should be initiated manually.

2.6Compliance with operational and technical provisions above would prevent transmissions of inappropriate distress relay calls.

3All coast stations call

3.1Recommendation ITU-R M.493-9 on DSC systems for use in the Maritime Mobile Service provides for "group calls" an address consisting of the characters corresponding to the station's Maritime Mobile Service identity (MMSI) and a number of administrations have already assigned a "group call" MMSI to their coast stations in addition to the coast station's individual MMSI.

3.2By multilateral agreements, a "group call" MMSI could be assigned to all coast stations of a specific region, e.g., an JRCC area and could comply with IMO's requirement without need of introducing further modifications to GMDSS equipment.

3.3An alternative method to implement an "all coast stations" call without the need to modify Recommendation ITU-R M.493-9 could be to define one MMSI world-wide as an address for all coast stations, in accordance with Nos. S19.100 to S19.126 of the ITU Radio Regulations. However, this solution would also require a modification of the setup at each coast station participating in the GMDSS.

4 Authorization

It should be noted that on ships, distress alerts, distress acknowledgements and distress relay calls can only be transmitted with permission of the Master of the ship.

5Flow diagrams

5.1The simplified flow diagrams 1 and 2 describe actions to be taken aboard ships upon receipt of distress alerts from other ships. Administrations should give wide distribution of these flow diagrams to ships and training institutions.

5.2Member Governments are invited to bring the above guidance and the attached flow diagrams to the attention of their shipowners, seafarers, coast stations, JRCCs and all others concerned.