Coast guard urgently requests your cooperation in managing and reducing the increasing number of gmdss mf/hf…

Original warning text

1. THE U.S. COAST GUARD URGENTLY REQUESTS YOUR COOPERATION IN
   MANAGING AND REDUCING THE INCREASING NUMBER OF GMDSS MF/HF DSC
   FALSE DISTRESS CALLS AND UNNECESSARY RELAYS. EACH DSC DISTRESS
   ALERT AND DISTRESS RELAY RECEIVED BY THE USCG IS HANDLED AS A
   REAL DISTRESS CALL. THE EXCESSIVE TRANSMISSION OF THOSE ALERTS
   IS ADVERSELY AFFECTING THE WORKLOAD OF RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER
   WATCHSTANDERS, AND IS CAUSING CONTINUING SOUNDING OF ALARMS ON
   BOTH SHIP AND COAST RADIO STATIONS.
2. IF YOU RECEIVE A DSC DISTRESS ALERT:
   A. DO NOT RELAY A DISTRESS ALERT KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED
      UNLESS YOU HAVE PERSONALLY DETERMINED THAT FURTHER HELP TO THE
      SHIP IN DISTRESS IS NECESSARY.
   B. DO WAIT 3 MINUTES FOR AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM A COAST STATION
      BEFORE SENDING A RELAY OF A RECEIVED DISTRESS CALL. IF THE CALL
      REMAINS UNACKNOWLEDGED OR UNRELAYED, AND THERE IS NO DISTRESS
      TRAFFIC ON THE ASSOCIATED RADIOTELEPHONE FREQUENCY, RELAY THE
      CALL TO THE NEAREST COAST STATION AND ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE
      DISTRESSED VESSEL BY RADIOTELEPHONE. DSC CALLS ADDRESSED TO
      MMSI 003669999 WILL BE RECEIVED BY ALL DSC-EQUIPPED USCG COAST
      STATIONS WITHIN RADIO RANGE. ONCE CONTACT WITH THE COAST
      STATION IS MADE, EXPLAIN THE SITUATION BY RADIOTELEPHONE.
   C. DO NOT RELAY A DISTRESS ALERT TO ALL SHIPS, UNLESS A KNOWN
      DISTRESS SITUATION REQUIRES SUCH A RELAY.
3. CERTAIN DSC RADIOS PERMIT RELAYS OF BOTH DISTRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
   AND RELAYS OR THEY MAY TRANSPOSE THE MMSI OF THE SHIP IN DISTRESS
   WHEN CONSTRUCTING A RELAY. DO NOT ROUTINELY RELAY THESE MESSAGES,
   AND BE CERTAIN THE MMSI IN YOUR RELAY MATCHES THE MMSI OF THE SHIP
   IN DISTRESS BEFORE TRANSMITTING.
4. IN ADDITION, IF YOUR RADIO IS NOT CONNECTED TO A NAVIGATION
   RECEIVER, DELETE OLD POSITION INFORMATION STORED IN THE RADIO.
5. MARINERS WHO TRANSMIT A FALSE DSC DISTRESS ALERT ARE REQUIRED TO
   IMMEDIATELY CANCEL THE ALERT. ITU REGULATIONS ALLOW ADMINIS-
   TRATIONS TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS AGAINST ANY SHIP OR MARINER
   WHO FAILS TO CANCEL AN INADVERTENTLY TRANSMITTED DISTRESS ALERT.
6. IF YOU INADVERTENTLY TRANSMIT A DSC DISTRESS ALERT:
   A. RESET THE EQUIPMENT IMMEDIATELY,
   B. TUNE FOR RADIOTELEPHONY ON THE ASSOCIATED DISTRESS AND SAFETY
      FREQUENCY IN EACH BAND IN WHICH A FALSE DISTRESS ALERT WAS
      TRANSMITTED, AND
   C. TRANSMIT A BROADCAST MESSAGE TO "ALL STATIONS" GIVING THE
      SHIP'S NAME, CALL SIGN, TIME THE ALERT WAS TRANSMITTED AND
      MMSI, AND CANCEL THE FALSE ALERT ON THE DISTRESS AND SAFETY
      FREQUENCY IN EACH BAND IN WHICH THE FALSE DISTRESS ALERT WAS
      TRANSMITTED.
7. WE ALSO URGE OPERATORS TO BE GMDSS CERTIFIED BEFORE USING HF DSC
   EQUIPMENT.
8. PLEASE POST THESE GUIDELINES NEAR THE YOUR NORMAL RADIO OPERATING
   POSITION.