Distress, Urgency, and Safety Procedures and Protocols
This domain tests traffic control and coordination rather than message wording: who controls the distress, when to relay, how to close the incident, and how to handle false alerts and on-scene working.
Control of distress traffic
A coast station or a designated ship imposes silence with SEELONCE MAYDAY and identifies itself. Only the controlling station may do this. When the incident is closed, the controller sends SEELONCE FEENEE. PRU-DONCE restricts working when interference continues but the distress traffic must go on.
Relaying and acknowledgement
A MAYDAY RELAY is sent by a station that has received a distress message and is passing it on. Relay only when the distressed station cannot transmit, or when no acknowledgement has been heard and the information is needed. Ships acknowledge distress by radiotelephony; coast stations acknowledge by DSC. A ship that is not in a position to assist should not congest the frequency.
On-scene coordination
The SAR Coordinator (SC) is usually an RCC; the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) is a ship or aircraft designated to coordinate surface units. On-scene communications use Ch 16 then Ch 06 for intership work; aircraft are worked on 121.5/123.1 MHz. The OSC assigns search areas, collects reports and keeps the RCC informed.
False alerts
Cancel a false DSC alert by all-ships DSC cancellation and a radiotelephony announcement, then inform the coast station/RCC. For an accidental EPIRB activation, switch off and notify the RCC.
Worked example
You are the nearest ship to a sinking vessel and the coast station asks you to act as OSC. Establish contact on Ch 16, move working traffic to Ch 06, collect positions and survival-craft details, assign search sectors, and report to the RCC. Do not impose SEELONCE MAYDAY unless the coast station has delegated control to you.
Traps
- Sending SEELONCE MAYDAY when you are not the controller.
- Relaying a distress that is already acknowledged and being handled.
- Using SECURITE for an urgency situation.
- Failing to record times and actions during a distress.