FCC GMDSS case studies
FCC GMDSS · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The FCC GMDSS Radio Operator Certificate is the U.S. commercial operator credential associated with the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, the international framework that governs maritime distress, urgency and safety communications at sea. The FCC GMDSS case studies are 5 cases and about 3,223 words.
1Distress Alert with an Inverted Latitude
At 0312 UTC, the 12,000 GT bulk carrier MV Kestrel is in Sea Area A2 in the Gulf of Alaska, 90 nm south of Kodiak. A fire has broken out in the engine room; main power is lost, and the emergency generator is carrying the radio installation.
677 words, about 3 min2A4 Voyage with Inmarsat at the Edge
MV Northwind is a 1,600 GT US-flag SOLAS cargo ship on charter to a seismic survey in the Chukchi Sea. She will spend 14 hours at 72°N 165°W, well inside Sea Area A4, before returning south.
688 words, about 3 min3Should a Ship Acknowledge a DSC Distress Alert?
At 2245 UTC, the 499 GT US-flag vessel MV Coral Trader is in Sea Area A2 in the Straits of Florida, 28 nm southwest of a DSC distress alert. The watch officer on 2187.5 kHz sees a distress alert from MMSI 367123456, nature "flooding", position 24°30.0′N 80°45.0′W.
635 words, about 3 min4MEDEVAC in A3 and the Missing Cyclone Warning
MV Aurora, an 8,000 GT bulk carrier with 22 crew, is in Sea Area A3 at 12°S 170°W, about 600 nm north of Samoa. The Inmarsat-C terminal is operational and logged into an ocean region, but the EGC receiver is configured for NAVAREA IV, while the vessel is in NAVAREA XIV.
602 words, about 3 min5Expired License, Wrong Operator, Unregistered EPIRB
MV Blue Heron is a 1,200 GT US-flag inspected passenger vessel carrying 149 passengers between Miami and the Bahamas, operating in Sea Area A1. During a US Coast Guard boarding, the inspector finds: the FCC ship station license expired eight months ago; the watch officer holds a Marine Radio Operator Permit (MP), while the crew member holding a GMDSS Radio Operator License is on leave; the float-free 406 MHz EPIRB is still registered to the previous owner and its battery expired three months ago, although the self-test passes; and the VHF-DSC controller is programmed with the previous vessel name but the correct MMSI.
621 words, about 3 min