47 C.F.R. Subpart E—Distress, Disaster, and Emergency Communications
Title 47 - Telecommunication
Each station licensee shall give absolute priority to radiocommunications or signals relating to ships or aircraft in distress; shall cease all sending on frequencies which will interfere with hearing a radiocommunication or signal of distress and except when engaged in answering or aiding the ship or aircraft in distress, shall refrain from sending any radiocommunications or signals until there is assurance that no interference will be caused with the radiocommunications or signals relating thereto; and shall assist the ship or aircraft in distress, so far as possible, by complying with its instructions. The control of distress traffic is the responsibility of the mobile station in distress or of the mobile station which, by the application of the provisions of §2.403, has sent the distress call. These stations may, however, delegate the control of the distress traffic to another station. Any station which becomes aware that a mobile station is in distress may transmit the distress message in the following cases: (a) When the station in distress is not itself in a position to transmit the message. (b) In the case of mobile stations, when the master or the person in charge of the ship, aircraft, or other vehicles carrying the station which intervenes believes that further help is necessary. (c) In the case of other stations, when directed to do so by the station in control of distress traffic or when it has reason to believe that a distress call which it has intercepted has not been received by any station in a position to render aid. No station having been notified to cease operation shall resume operation on frequency or frequencies which may cause interference until notified by the station issuing the original notice that the station involved will not interfere with distress traffic as it is then being routed or until the receipt of a general notice that the need for handling distress traffic no longer exists. The licensee of any station (except amateur, standard broadcast, FM broadcast, noncommercial educational FM broadcast, or television broadcast) may, during a period of emergency in which normal communication facilities are disrupted as a result of hurricane, flood, earthquake, or similar disaster, utilize such station for emergency communication service in communicating in a manner other than that specified in the instrument of authorization: Provided: (a) That as soon as possible after the beginning of such emergency use, notice be sent to the Commission at Washington, D.C., and to the Engineer in Charge of the district in which the station is located, stating the nature of the emergency and the use to which the station is being put, and (b) That the emergency use of the station shall be discontinued as soon as substantially normal communication facilities are again available, and (c) That the Commission at Washington, D.C., and the Engineer in Charge shall be notified immediately when such special use of the station is terminated: Provided further, (d) That in no event shall any station engage in emergency transmission on frequencies other than, or with power in excess of, that specified in the instrument of authorization or as otherwise expressly provided by the Commission, or by law: And provided further, (e) That any such emergency communication undertaken under this section shall terminate upon order of the Commission. Note: Part 73 of this chapter contains provisions governing emergency operation of standard, FM, noncommercial educational FM, and television broadcast stations. Part 97 of this chapter contains such provisions for amateur stations. [28 FR 13785, Dec. 18, 1963] Any common carrier subject to the Communications Act may render to any agency of the United States Government free service in connection with the preparation for the national defense. Every such carrier rendering any such free service shall make and file, in duplicate, with the Commission, on or before the 31st day of July and on or before the 31st day of January in each year, reports covering the periods of 6 months ending on the 30th day of June and the 31st day of December, respectively, next prior to said dates. These reports shall show the names of the agencies to which free service was rendered pursuant to this rule, the general character of the communications handled for each agency, and the charges in dollars which would have accrued to the carrier for such service rendered to each agency if charges for all such communications had been collected at the published tariff rates. The Federal Communications Commission may authorize the licensee of any radio station during a period of national emergency to operate its facilities upon such frequencies, with such power and points of communication, and in such a manner beyond that specified in the station license as may be requested by the Army, Navy, or Air Force.
Title 47: Telecommunication
PART 2—FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS AND RADIO TREATY MATTERS; GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
Subpart E—Distress, Disaster, and Emergency Communications
§ 2.401 Distress messages.
§ 2.402 Control of distress traffic.
§ 2.403 Retransmission of distress message.
§ 2.404 Resumption of operation after distress.
§ 2.405 Operation during emergency.
§ 2.406 National defense; free service.
§ 2.407 National defense; emergency authorization.
