(a) The radiotelephone distress procedure consists of:
- (1) The radiotelephone alarm signal (whenever possible);
- (2) The distress call;
- (3) The distress message.
(b) The DSC distress procedure consists of:
- (1) Transmission by a mobile unit in distress;
- (2) Reception;
- (3) Acknowledgement of distress calls;
- (4) Distress relays.
- (c) Radiotelephone distress transmissions must be made slowly and distinctly, each word being clearly pronounced to facilitate transcription.
- (d) After the transmission by radiotelephony of its distress message, the mobile station may be requested to transmit suitable signals followed by its call sign or name, to permit direction-finding stations to determine its position. This request may be repeated at frequent intervals if necessary.
- (e) The distress message, preceded by the distress call, must be repeated at intervals until an answer is received. This repetition must be preceded by the radiotelephone alarm signal whenever possible.
- (f) When the mobile station in distress receives no answer to a distress message transmitted on the distress frequency, the message may be repeated on any other available frequency on which attention might be attracted.
[51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended]