47 C.F.R. § 80.1113 Transmission of a distress alert.
Title 47 - Telecommunication
(a) The distress alert must identify the station in distress and its position. The distress alert may also contain information regarding the nature of the distress, the type of assistance required, the course and speed of the mobile unit, the time that this information was recorded and any other information which might facilitate rescue. (b) The format of distress calls and distress messages must be in accordance with ITU-R Recommendation M.493–10, “Digital Selective-calling system for use in the Maritime Mobile Service,” with Annexes 1 and 2, 2000, as specified in §80.1101. ITU-R Recommendation M.493–10 with Annexes 1 and 2 is incorporated by reference. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR Part 51. Copies of this standard can be inspected at the Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC (Reference Information Center) or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. The ITU-R Recommendation can be purchased from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Place des Nations, CH–1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. (c) Ship-to-shore distress alerts are used to alert Rescue Coordination Centers via coast stations or coast earth stations that a ship is in distress. These alerts are based on the use of transmissions via satellites (from a ship earth station or a satellite EPIRB) and terrestrial services (from ship stations and EPIRBs). (d) Ship-to-ship distress alerts are used to alert other ships in the vicinity of the ship in distress and are based on the use of digital selective calling in the VHF and MF bands. The HF bands should not be used to notify ships in the vicinity unless no response is received within five minutes on VHF or MF. (e) Shore-to-ship distress alert relays are used by a station or Rescue Coordination Center to relay information about a ship in distress to, as appropriate, all ships, a selected group of ships, or a specific ship by satellite and/or terrestrial means. The distress alert relay must contain the identification of the mobile unit in distress, its position and all other information which might facilitate rescue. [51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at 68 FR 46980, Aug. 7, 2003]
Title 47: Telecommunication
PART 80—STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES
Subpart W—Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
Operating Procedures for Distress and Safety Communications
§ 80.1113 Transmission of a distress alert.
