The Importance Of Emergence Calls Information

This is an epidemic problem as ninety percent of boaters who call the Coast Guard for emergency help have not both registered and interconnected their VHF radios, meaning that our 21st Century safety network will not work.

According to Coast Guard worker “Of the roughly 100 digital selective calling distress alerts we are now receiving each month, approximately 90% don’t have position information (i.e., don’t have a GPS navigation receiver interconnected to their DSC-equipped VHF radio), and approximately 60% have not registered their MMSI. Despite the promises DSC technology offers in significantly reducing the alerting and search time for mariners in distress, there’s little a Coast Guard watchstander can do after receiving a distress alert with no position information, using an unregistered MMSI, and having no follow-up voice communications.”

The Coast Guard must respond to about 60,000 emergency calls each year (while saving nearly 5,000 lives annually) using limited resources. Unfortunately, search and rescue responses are often suspended when rescuers cannot establish further communication with the distressed boater, have no position information or bearings for the vessel, and have no other means of contact.”

To reap the benefits of Rescue 21 and DSC technology, mariners must:

Obtain a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) and enter it into your radio. 

MMSI numbers are issued by BoatUS, Sea Tow, or the Federal Communications Commission if your vessel otherwise requires a station license. You also need to update your emergency info as changes happen.

Interconnect your radio to a GPS receiver using a two-wire NMEA 0183 interface on all DSC-equipped marine radios and on most GPS receivers. Instructions should be provided in the radio and GPS operator’s manuals.

Boaters, please help the Coast Guard help you, and take these two quick actions to enable the safety features of your modern VHF radio.