Introduction to Global Maritime

Distress Safety System (GMDSS) –

What You Must Know
Introduction to GMDSS
During the 18th century, the ships sailing in international and coastal waters were
dependent on the Morse code to send any kind of distress signal to a coastal authority
or ships in the nearby vicinity during emergency. Since it was a transmission of texture
information using tones or lights, this kind of message was never very clear to
understand what kind of emergency is there on board ships. Therefore, an
internationally agreed safety procedure was adopted by IMO under SOLAS chapter IV
which is known as GMDSS- Global Maritime Distress Safety System.

GMDSS and its Uses

On 1st Feb 1999, the fully implemented GMDSS came to picture. It was a set standard
for usage of communication protocol, procedures and safety equipment to be used at
the time of distress situation by the ship. Under GMDSS, all the passenger ships
and cargo ship above 300 GT involved in the voyages in international waters have to
carry equipment as per GMDSS.

Read -> SOLAS requirements for GMDSS 

When a ship uses GMDSS, it basically sends a distress signal via a satellite or radio
communication equipment. It’s also used as a medium for sending or receiving maritime
safety information and general communication channel.

Read -> Daily, Monthly and Weekly Tests Of GMDSS equipment on board Ships
In the GMDSS framework, there are different Sea Areas to allot the working equipment
in the respective area. They are as follows:

AREA RANGE EQUIPMENT

A1 20 to 50 M VHF DSC

A2 50 to 400 M VHF + MF

VHF + MF + One
A3 70° N to 70° S
INMARSAT

A4 Above 70° N or S HF + MF + VHF

To understand the above table further, following are the ranges with regard to the
frequencies in a specific band:

1. Medium Frequencies: 300 KHz to 3 MHz

2. High Frequencies: 3 MHz to 30 MHz
3. Very High Frequencies: 30 MHz to 300 MHz

Very High Frequencies (VHF)

For the purposes of maritime communication, the range of 156 MHz to 174 MHz is
allocated. Channel 16, which is set at 156.800 MHz, is for Distress, Urgency and Safety
communication. Channel 70, set at 156.525 MHz, if for routine VHF DSC (Digital
Selective Calling) watch.

GUARD channels are set put above and below Channel 16 to avoid any interference on
Channel 16. One cannot have seamless traffic on Channel 16 with interference with
regard to other communication aside from distress, safety and urgency. So the Guard
channel frequencies are 156.775 MHz and 156.825 MHz.

Among other things, the VHF set runs on a 24 Volt DC supply with J3E type of
transmission for Radiotelephony and G2B type of transmission for VHF DSC.

The different elements of GMDSS are as follows:

 1.  INMARSAT:  It is a Satellite operated system that includes ship earth station
terminals – Inmarsat B, C and F77. It provides telex, telephone and data transfer
services between ship-to-ship, ship to shore, and shore to ship along with a
priority telex and telephone service connected to shore rescue centres.
2.  NAVTEX: NAVTEX is an internationally adopted automated system which is
used to distribute MSI-maritime safety information, and includes weather forecasts
and warnings, navigational warnings, search and rescue notices and other similar
safety information.
3. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB): EPIRB is an
equipment to help determine the position of survivors during a SAR operation. It is
a secondary means of distress alerting. Read about EPIRB here.
4.  Search and Rescue Locating Equipment: Primarily the Search and Rescue
Radar Transponder. This is used to home Search and Rescue units to the position
of distress which transmits upon interrogation. Read about Search and Rescue
equipment here.
5.  Digital Selective Calling (DSC): This is a calling service between ship to ship,
ship to shore or vice versa for safety and distress information mainly on high or
medium frequency and VHF maritime radio.

Documents to be carried onboard with regard to

GMDSS:
1. Ship’s Radio License
2. Radio Operators Certificates
3. Safety Radio Certificate
4. GMDSS Radio Log Book
5. ITU List of Cell Signs and Numerical Identities of Stations used by Maritime
Mobile and Maritime Mobile Satellite Services
6. ITU List of Coast Stations
7. ITU List of Ship Stations
8. ITU List of Radio determination and Special Service Stations
9. Antenna Rigging Plan
10. Valid Shore Based Maintenance Certificate

GMDSS Training
The handling of GMDSS equipment requires certified training as well as licensing from
the Telecommunication department of the department. The General Operators
Certificate (GOC) is mandatory in order for an officer to be allowed to handle GMDSS
equipment onboard the ship.

To obtain this GOC, a short course is compulsory to attend following which an exam is
conducted (written and oral), which needs to be cleared.  This training is aimed at
Cadets who ought to become licensed Radio Operators to operate all the equipment in
conjunction with the regulations laid out for GMDSS.

The training period is around 12 days and owing to the course being mandatory, it is
advised to call in to an approved institute to book a seat for a future date, well in
advance. Depending which country the individual is from, they must check the
respective institute websites as well as the Ministry of Shipping (or whichever applicable
for their country) website to get the full details on eligibility and criteria for admission into
the GMDSS course.

Over the period of the course, the officer is taught about the various aspects of GMDSS
ranging from Radio Log to sending IMNARSAT messages and all such aspects of it
which will be required when carrying out communication onboard. The written exam
tests the theory whereas the oral examination is a one on one session with a surveyor
who tests the individual on the different aspects of GMDSS, covering the whole syllabus
(theory as well as practical).

Recommended GMDSS Books:

GMDSS – A Guide For Global Maritime Distress Safety System

GMDSS – A User’s Handbook

Admiralty List of Radio Signals (ALRS) Volume 5:

GMDSS
NP285 or ALRS Vol. 5 is the publication with extensive information in theory as well as
practical use for all things pertaining to the GMDSS. Correction for this is found in
Section 6 of the weekly Notices To Mariners (TNM). Its contents covers as follows:

1. Distress Communication And False Alert

2. Operation Procedure For Use Of DSC Equipment
3. Search And Rescue Transponder
4. Extract From ITU Radio Regulations
5. VHF DSC List Of Coast Stations For Sea Area A1
6. MF DSC List Of Coast Stations For Sea Area A2
7. HF DSC List Of Coast Stations For Sea Area A3
8. INMARSAT
9. Maritime Safety Information (MSI)
10. SafetyNet
11. NAVTEX
12. Distress, Search And Rescue

Portable Marine Radio

The portable marine radio or the survival craft transceiver, a very important element of
the GMDSS, is a piece of equipment located in the bridge in case the ship’s personnel
have to board the survival craft but they may be used for communication on board as
well.
In case it’s used in emergency, it is used for on scene coordination between the survival
craft and the search and rescue units. The IMO requirements for the survival craft
transceivers are as follows:

1. Can be operated by unskilled personnel

2. Transmission and Reception on 156.8 MHz (Channel 16) and 156.3 MHz
(Channel 6)
3. Withstand a drop of 1 meter
 4. Watertight to a depth of 1 meter for 5 minutes
5. Minimum power of 0.25 watts
6. A power reduction switch available
7. The antenna must be omnidirectional and vertically polarized
8. Battery power capacity for 8 hours (Nickel Cadmium or Lithium Battery)

The scope of GMDSS is vast and extensive reading on it, through publications and
manuals and all other available means, is the only way to get better at handling the
equipments and gain further knowledge about the setup.

Being a mandatory setup onboard ships which is also the key setup with regard to
emergency situations, it is actually in self interest for the ship’s officer to gain maximum
knowhow on every aspect of the GMDSS.