Calls on a cell phone, while better than no call, short-circuit this process, which is why safety experts everywhere–including the Coast Guard–universally recommend VHF. "Your first option should be a marine radio distress call," said Angela Hirsch, a Coast Guard spokesperson based in Washington DC.
If the vessel cannot be contacted, an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (they call it a UMIB) is sent out through high-tech channels such as SafetyNet, which uses satellite broadcasting, and NAVTEX, which relays information via long-distance radio. It also goes out on Channel 16 at 15-minute intervals for at least one hour. Mariners who receive the broadcast and are nearby are required to reply via radio, even if other boats respond first.
The Coast Guard's objective is to collect as much information as possible directly from people on the boat, or from mariners nearby if the boat cannot be reached. Where is the vessel? How many people are on board? Is there a medical emergency? What is the specific problem? What has been done to control it? What does the vessel look like? What is happening with wind and waves in the area? The vital information is logged for quick retrieval.
Coast GuardRadio "Watch Standers" are the first line of defense on a Mayday call. They take critical information, such as the location of the vessel in distress.THE CONTROLLER'S JOB
This is the information the Search and Rescue Controller will use to determine how to respond. Without it, the Coast Guard is flying blind and it is difficult to respond properly.
"The three key components are the caller giving us a location, the name of the vessel and the nature of the distress," said Geoffrey Pagels, a veteran search and rescue controller. "A lot of times, on a Mayday call, we don't get that. If we don't get that, then we have to fall back. We're able to call up on our computer a map that has our antennas and their ranges."
As a Controller for 15 years in the Atlantic Area Command Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, Pagels has determined the Coast Guard's response to hundreds of emergencies. He said that a poorly formed distress call can be just as disastrous as none at all. Pagels once received four clear calls from the same vessel, but couldn't do anything because the messages consisted only of the word "Mayday" and no other information.
Receiving the vessel's location would have given rescuers something to work with. Without it, the Coast Guard must coordinate a search. They can estimate the location of a vessel via range-finding antennas, but that means they are scrambling to define a space to search rather than sending help directly.
Coast GuardCoast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Brook Bossen pulls "injured" Petty Officer 1st Class James Baxter back to the Coast Guard Cutter Petrel as part of a shipboard man overboard drill.
FIVE MINUTE DECISION
The Mission Coordinator's goal is to process the information transmitted on the distress call, determine a response and launch that response within five minutes of the call, according to the Coast Guard's Addendum to the United States National SAR Supplement, which is the agency's 582-page internal guide to policies and procedures for search and rescue.
Many of the core decisions about how the Coast Guard responds–by boat, helicopter or with a larger presence–rests in the hands of the Mission Coordinator.
In each of these cases, the Coast Guard attempts to have a "suitable SAR resource" available to respond within 30 minutes, according to documents, though this is not a hard deadline and can be extended by a number of factors.
"When the call comes in, the goal is to respond within 30 minutes," said Tim Carton, a Coast Guard search and rescue specialist in Boston. "Our response can include fixed-wing aircraft, cutters, small boats from all our stations. All our boat stations have a requirement to have a ready boat that can be on the way in less than half an hour."
Still, controllers are often required to juggle multiple operations at the same time. Last May, Pagels had to coordinate four separate rescues, and address a false alarm at the same time. Managing resources is a key part of the job, so much so that the Coast Guard's plan allows controllers to launch first and do paperwork later "if the situation dictates."
RESCUE ACTION
When a decision is made, the radio watch stander alerts the boaters via VHF of the impending action–or lack thereof. Emergency calls are categorized as distress calls, non-distress calls or those that are in doubt, and the response to each is different.
