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Transmission of Urgency and Safety Signals from a Vessel

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Maritime safety is one of the top priorities in the global maritime industry. An effective system for transmitting urgency and safety signals plays a crucial role in preventing accidents, saving lives, and protecting the marine environment.

This article will examine the key aspects of transmitting urgency and safety signals from a vessel, including urgency signals, safety transmissions, safety signals and messages, as well as medical advice through the MEDICO system.

Urgency signal

In radiotelephony, the urgency signal consists of the words PAN PAN, each of which is pronounced like the French word “panne”. The urgency signal shall be repeated three times before the call. Terrestrial Urgency and Safety Communications on the VesselsThe urgency signalshall be sent only on the authority of the master or the person responsible for the ship, aircraft or other vehicle carrying the mobile station or mobile earth station in the maritime mobile-satellite service.

The urgency signal indicates that the calling station has a very urgent message to transmit concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft or other vehicle, or the Safety Equipment for Safeguarding Life at Seasafety of a person.

The urgency signal and the message following it, shall be transmitted on one or more of the international distress frequencies. However, in the case of a long message or a medical call, or in areas with heavy traffic, maritime mobile service messages shall be transmitted on a working frequency.

The urgency signal shall have priority over all other communication, with the exception of distress.

All stations hearing the urgency signal shall take care not to interfere with the transmission of the message which follows it. Mobile stations hearing the urgency signal shall continue to listen for at least three minutes.

At the end of this period, if no urgency message has been heard, a land station should, if possible, be notified of the receipt of the urgency signal.

Read also: Regulations and Traffic Procedures

In the maritime mobile service, urgency messages may be addressed either to all stations, or to a particular station.

When the urgency signal has been sent prior to transmitting a message to “all stations” calling for action by the station receiving the message, the station responsible for its transmission shall cancel it as soon as it knows that action is no longer necessary.

Such a message of cancellation shall likewise be addressed to “all stations”.

Example:

The “BRUNITA” LKFE has lost a man over board at position 55.10 N, 018.10 E. The call will take place on 2 182 kHz.

  • PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN;
  • ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS;
  • THIS IS;
  • BRUNITA BRUNITA BRUNITA CALLSIGN LKFE;
  • MAN OVER BOARD IN POSITION 55 DEGREES 10 MINUTES NORTH, 022 DEGREES 10 MINUTES EAST, AT TIME 1015 UTC. SHIPS IN VICINITY ARE ASKED TO KEEP SHARP LOOKOUT AND REPORT TO BRUNITA ON 2 182 KHZ;
  • DATE AND TIME 181030UTC;
  • MASTER BRUNITA LKFE.

If the person is found, the “BRUNITA” must cancel her PAN message:

  • PAN PAN;
  • ALL SHIPS ALL SHIPS ALL SHIPS;
  • THIS IS;
  • BRUNITA BRUNITA BRUNITA CALLSIGN LKFE;
  • PLEASE CANCEL MY PAN MESSAGE OF 181030UTC;
  • THE CREW MEMBER HAS BEEN FOUND AND IS IN GOOD
    SHAPE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION;
  • DATE AND TIME 181130UTC;
  • MASTER BRUNITA LKFE;
  • OVER AND OUT.

Safety Transmissions

Safety signals and messages

In radiotelephony, the safety signal consists of the word SECURITE pro­nounced clearly as in French. The safety signal shall be repeated three times before the call.

The safety signal indicates that the station is about to transmit a message containing an important meteorological or Informed for Safe Navigation at Sea with Critical Maritime Informationnavigational warning.

Safety messages are divided into three categories:

  • vital,
  • important,
  • routine.

When a coast station wants to send a vital safety message, it must always send the navigational warning signal continuously for a period of 15 seconds before proceeding with the safety signal and the safety message.

Urgency signals
Lights as a ship’s distress signal
Source: AI generated image

The navigational warning signal consists of one substantial sinusoidal audio frequency tone of 2 200 Hz transmitted in bursts of 250 milliseconds duration, at intervals of 250 milliseconds.

The purpose of the urgency signals is to attract the attention of a person on watch, or to actuate automatic devices sounding the alarm or activating a silenced loudspeaker for the message which will follow.

The navigational warning signal, the safety signal and the call, shall be transmitted on one of the GMDSS Distress and Safety Communicationsinternational distress frequencies.

The safety message which follows the call should be sent on a working frequency. A suitable announcement to this effect shall be made at the end of the call.

Maritime mobile service safety messages shall generally be addressed to all stations. In some cases, however, they may be addressed to a particular station.

Example:

  • SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE;
  • ALL SHIPS ALL SHIPS ALL SHIPS;
  • THIS IS;
  • SCHEVENINGEN RADIO SCHEVENINGEN RADIO SCHEVENINGEN RADIO;
    LISTEN FOR NAVIGATIONAL WARNING;
  • ON FREQUENCY/CHANNEL …

Medical advice – MEDICO

Mobile stations requiring MEDICAL ADVICE (MEDICO) may obtain it through any of the land stations shown as providing this service in the List of Radio determination and Special Service Stations.

If necessary, the urgency signal may be transmitted before The Structure, Functions and Details of Professional Marine Radio Communicationradiocommunications and radio telegrams concerning medical advice.

Example:

  • PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN;
  • MEDICO;
  • SINGAPORE RADIO SINGAPORE RADIO SINGAPORE RADIO;
  • THIS IS….;

Normally ship stations can get free medical advice (MEDICO) via all coast stations providing the service.

The following is a general format used for transmitting medical messages:

  • ships name/callsign and nationality;
  • position of the ship;
  • next port of call;
  • Patients details(e. g., name, sex, age, medical history etc.);
  • advice required;
  • medication available on board the vessel.
Author
Author photo - Olga Nesvetailova
Freelancer
Literature
  1. Global Maritime Distress and Safety System: IMO 1987.
  2. Manual for use by The Maritime Mobile and Maritime Mobile- Satellite Services: ITU 1992.
  3. Radio Regulations 1-2-3: ITU 1990.
  4. Manual for Norwegian Mobile Radiotelephone Stations: The Norwegian Telecom 1992.
  5. Modem Electronic Communication: Gary M. Miller 1978.
  6. Brochures and data sheets from manufacturers of GMDSS Equipment.
  7. Inmarsat: Inmarsat-A User’s Manual, Inmarsat-C User’s Manual.
  8. Nodposisjonering: Bjomar Augdal, 1992.
  9. Skipsantenner: Bjomar Augdal 1991.
  10. COSPAS-SARSAT Secretariat: COSPAS-SARSAT System Data Documents.
  11. Admiralty List of Radio Signals.
Footnotes
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Январь, 21, 2025 68 0
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