2.13 Urgency procedure
Scenario 8: Urgency Procedure
You are on board:
Vessel name: AURORA
Call Sign: LK5678
MMSI: 257222333
Your position: N59° 11’ E005° 45’
Number of persons on board (POB): 4
Your engine has stopped due to a clogged fuel filter, and your vessel is drifting close to shore in a high- traffic area. You assess the situation and determine that there is no immediate danger, but that prompt assistance is required. You therefore transmit a DSC Urgency to All Ships. You then switch to channel 16 and transmit the following message:
URGENCY CALL:
PANPAN PANPAN PANPAN
ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS
AURORA AURORA AURORA
LIMA KILO FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT (LK5678)
MMSI 257 222 333
URGENCY MESSAGE:
DRIFTING WITH ENGINE FAILURE CLOSE TO SHORE IN POSITION
FIVE NINE DEGREES ONE ONE MINUTES NORTH (N59° 11’)
ZERO ZERO FIVE DEGREES FOUR FIVE MINUTES EAST (E005° 45’)
REQUIRE TOWING ASSISTANCE
⚠️ Important to understand
- Use the word Pan Pan three times to indicate urgency priority
- Use channel 16 to transmit the urgency message. Clearly describe the situation, including your position, the vessel’s name, call sign, and the assistance required.
Receipt of an urgency call and urgency message
Vessels receiving a DSC Urgency call addressed to All Ships shall not acknowledge it by DSC.
Instead, they should switch to the channel specified in the call and listen for the urgency message.
They should maintain a listening watch for at least five minutes. If no urgency message is heard within
that period, the vessel should, if possible, notify a coast radio station that a DSC Urgency call has been
received.
Procedure of terminating urgency traffic
(Used when the situation has been resolved and normal vessel operations and VHF communications may be resumed)
1 - GO TO CHANNEL 16 AND TRANSMIT THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE
PROCEDURE OF TERMINATING URGENCY TRAFFIC
PANPAN PANPAN PANPAN
ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS
[VESSEL NAME] [VESSEL NAME] [VESSEL NAME]
[CALL SIGN]
[MMSI] (hvis DSC Urgency has been sent)
PLEASE CANSEL MY URGENCY MESSAGE OF(time in UTC)
EXAMPLE
PANPAN PANPAN PANPAN
ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS
AURORA AURORA AURORA
LIMA KILO FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT (LK5678)
MMSI 257 222 333
PLEASE CANCEL MY URGENCY MESSAGE SENT ONE NINE FIVE FOUR (19:54) UTC
Radio Medico
Radio Medico may be regarded as the official telemedical assistance service for ships and seafarers. Under international agreements, a number of nations are required to provide such a service. The service covers medical emergencies, general medical consultations, specialist medical advice, and preventive healthcare guidance.
The service is free of charge and is available through coast radio stations 24 hours a day. It is primarily intended for vessels engaged in international voyages and commercial vessels operating along the coast, but may also be used by recreational craft when circumstances require it.
⚠️ Important to understand
- When medical advice is required through Radio Medico, an individual DSC Urgency call should be sent to the nearest coast radio station
- The coast radio station will then assign you a working channel
- The operator should then transmit an urgency call and an urgency message to the coast radio station
Example of a Radio Medico request
After transmitting an individual DSC Urgency call to the nearest coast radio station, the
following message should be transmitted on the assigned working channel:
PANPAN PANPAN PANPAN
NORWEGIAN COASTAL RADIO SOUTH NORWEGIAN COASTAL RADIO SOUTH
THIS IS
AURORA AURORA AURORA
LIMA, KILO FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT (LK5678)
MMSI 257 222 333
REQUIRE MEDICAL ADVICE