Official (Open)

MFY2013 1
 Official (Open)

1) Radio Life-saving appliances

I. Two-way VHF radiotelephone apparatus
II. Search and Recue locating devices
a) EPIRB – Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacon
b) SART – Search And Rescue Radar
Transponder

2) Distress Flares
3) Signalling apparatus

MFY2013 2
 Official (Open)

Requirements

 At least 3 two-way VHF radiotelephone apparatus shall be

provided on every passenger ship and on every cargo ship of
500 gross tonnage and upwards.

 At least 2 two-way VHF radiotelephone apparatus shall be

provided on every cargo ship of 300 gross tonnage and
upwards but less than 500 gross tonnage.

MFY2013 3
Official (Open)

MFY2013 9
 Official (Open)

 Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon

 All passenger vessels and all cargo ships over
300 gross tonnage on international voyages
shall carry an EPIRB
 Vessels operating on the high seas (beyond the
3 mile territorial sea line) are required to carry
a 406 MHz EPIRB

MFY2013 10
 Official (Open)

Specifications
 Capable of manual activation & deactivation.

 Watertight.

 Capable of floating.

 Portable, lightweight and compact.

 Highly visible colour.

 Designed to be used by an unskilled person.

 Capable of being tested easily.

MFY2013 11
 Official (Open)

Specifications: -
 Capable of automatically activated after
floating free.
 Battery – sufficient capacity to operate for 48
hrs.
 Generally, the battery life is 5 years. However,
to check with manufacturer.
 Capable of transmitting alternately or
simultaneously signals on the frequencies:
a) 121.5 / 243 MHz - Homing Beacon (Civil aviation /
Military Aircraft)
b) 406 MHz (COSPAS-SARSAT)

MFY2013 12
 Official (Open)

Operation:
 Unwind cord & tie to vessel or survival craft.

 Break seal and extend aerial to full height.

 Push toggle switch to ‘ON’ position & place

EPIRB in water. Red LED indicates EPIRB
sending out message.

MFY2013 13
 Official (Open)

 The EPIRB must be tested when it is installed

and,
 At least once every month.
 The master is responsible for seeing that the
EPIRB is tested.

MFY2013 14
 Official (Open)

The International Co-operative Programme

 This satellite system was initially developed
under a MOU among Agencies of the former
USSR, USA, Canada and France, signed in
1979. Operational in 1984.

 COSPAS stands for Cosmicheskaya Sistyema

Poiska Avariynich Sudov (Space System for the
Search of Vessels in Distress)
 SARSAT stands for Search and Rescue
Satellite-Aided Tracking

MFY2013 15
 Official (Open)

 Although Cospas-Sarsat satellites were

primarily designed to function on the much
improved 406 MHz frequency, they still had to
make a provision for the thousands of 121.5
MHz beacons already in use.

 For this reason, the satellites were designed to

receive signals on121.5 MHz as well.

MFY2013 16
 Official (Open)

 Search & rescue system

 Provides automatic distress monitoring service
 Receives signals on 406 & 121.5 MHz
 Consists of 4 satellites orbiting the earth

MFY2013 17
 Official (Open)

 EPIRB transmits signal, signal received by

satellites are re-transmitted to LUT.
 LUT – Local User Terminal; special ground
station, tracks and received signal from the
satellite
 LUT then transmits to MCC (Mission Control
Centre)
 MCC relay message to RCC (Rescue Co-
ordinating Centre

MFY2013 18
 Official (Open)
The picture can't be displayed.

MFY2013 19
Official (Open)

MFY2013 20
 Official (Open)

The Cospas-Sarsat System includes two types of

satellites:
 satellites in low-altitude Earth orbit (LEO)
which form the LEOSAR System
 satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO)
which form the GEOSAR System

MFY2013 21
 Official (Open)

 The Cospas-Sarsat system uses SAR satellites to

detect and locate aviators, mariners, and land-
based users in distress.

 The satellites relay distress signals from

emergency beacons to a network of ground
stations and ultimately to the Mission Control
Centre.

MFY2013 22
 Official (Open)

 The MCC processes the distress signal and

alerts the appropriate search and rescue
authorities to who is in distress and, more
importantly, where they are located.

 Truly, Cospas-Sarsat takes the "search" out of

search and rescue.

MFY2013 23
 Official (Open)

 Serves as the hub of information sent by the

Cospas-Sarsat system.
 The main function is to collect, store, and sort
alert data from LUTs and other MCCs, and to
distribute alert data to RCCs, and other MCCs.
 Currently, there are four data distribution
regions served by the United States, France,
Russia and Australia.

MFY2013 24
Official (Open)

MFY2013 25
 Official (Open)

Specifications

A portable beacon used to aid location of
survivors.

It operates in the Super High Frequency band
(SHF), on 9Ghz.

It requires a vessel with a 3cm X-band Radar to
detect it.

Typical ranges for detection are anything from
1nm to 50nm with a SAR helicopter.

MFY2013 26
 Official (Open)

Specifications
 Capable of manual and deactivation.

 Provision of automatic activation may be

provided.
 Will operate on standby mode for 96 hrs.

 Will provide transmission for 8 hrs when being

continuously interrogated.

MFY2013 27
 Official (Open)

 A1 - Within range of at least one VHF Coast station, at

which continuous VHF DSC alerting is available. This is
effectively within 30 miles of land. (0-30nm offshore).
 A2 - Outside of area A1. Within range of at least one MF
Coast station, at which continuous MF DSC alerting is
available. This is effectively 30-150 offshore.
 A3 - Outside areas A1 and A2. Within coverage of the
INMARSAT Geostationery Satellites where continuous
alerting is available. Effectively 70 degrees north to 70
degrees south.
 A4 - Outside areas A1,A2 and A3. Effectively the Polar
Regions.

MFY2013 32
 Official (Open)

 EPIRB (either 406MHz, Satcoms L-Band or

VHF DSC Channel 70)
 SART and 9GHz 3cm x-band Radar
 Emergency Waterproof VHF Radios
 VHF RT (Fitted with Channel 16,13 and 06)
 VHF DSC
 VHF DSC Watch Keeper
 NAVTEX - If vessel will be operating outside
NAVTEX range then SATCOMS EGC
(enhanced group calling – INMARSAT C) must
also be fitted

MFY2013 33
 Official (Open)

1. A gun or other explosive signal fired at

intervals of about a minute.
2. A continuous sounding with any fog-signal
apparatus.
3. Rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one
at a time at short intervals.
4. A signal made by radiotelegraphy or by any
other signalling method consisting of the group
… _ _ _ … In the morse code.

MFY2013 34
 Official (Open)

5. A signal sent by radiotelephony consisting of

the spoken word “Mayday”.
6. The international code signal of distress
indicated by NC.
7. A signal consisting of a square flag having
above or below it a ball or anything resembling
a ball.
8. Flames on the vessel (as from burning tar
barrel, oil barrel, etc.)

MFY2013 35
 Official (Open)

9. A rocket parachute flare or hand flare showing

a red light.
10. A smoke signal giving off a volume of orange
coloured smoke.
11. Slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering
arms outstretched to each side.
12. The radiotelegraph alarm signal.
13. The radiotelephone alarm signal.

MFY2013 36
 Official (Open)

Devices for signalling or attracting attention:

 Pyrotechnics
 Torch suitable for Morse signalling
 Daylight signalling mirror
 Whistle
 Searchlight
 Orange sails in open lifeboat
 Copy of life-saving signals is provided in
survival craft

MFY2013 37
 Official (Open)

In a Survival Craft:-
 Hand Flares x 6 pcs

 Rocket Parachute Flares x 4 pcs

 Buoyant Smoke Floats x 2 pcs

 Distress flares are basically meant to attract

attention.
 To be used only on the instructions of person
in-charge of the craft.

MFY2013 38
 Official (Open)

Signalling by night
 Max. ranges at which distress signals can be
seen at night in good visibility:
1. Rocket Parachute Flares 25 - 35 miles
2. Hand Flares 5 – 10 miles

 Do not activate and waste the pyrotechnics

without evaluating the possibility of getting
detected.

MFY2013 39
 Official (Open)

Effective Use
Activate:-
 Rocket parachute flare only if you have good
reason to believe that a rescue ship, aircraft or
inhabited shore is within range.
 Hand flares – when the lights of ships or from
shore are visible.

MFY2013 40
 Official (Open)

 Altitude not less than 300m

 Burn with bright red light
 Intensity of not less than 30,000cd
 Not less than 40 s
 Rate of descent not more than 5m/s

MFY2013 41
 Official (Open)

 Burn with bright red light

 Intensity of not less than
15,000cd
 Burning period > one min
 Continue to burn after being
immersed for 10 sec 100mm
of water

MFY2013 42
 Official (Open)

 Emit smoke of a highly visible colour

 Not less than 3 min floating in calm water
 Do not emit any flame
 Continue to emit smoke when submerged in
water for a period of 10 sec under 100mm of
water

MFY2013 43
 Official (Open)

ATLANTIC OCEAN
 Recently, four sailors were rescued from a life
raft floating in the Atlantic Ocean
 125 miles off the coast of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin
Islands.
 Thanks to environmental satellites in the
international Search and Rescue Satellite-
Aided Tracking Program

MFY2013 44
 Official (Open)

 Cospas-Sarsat.
 Satellites operated by the Commerce
Department’s National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and by
the Russian government detected a distress
signal from a 53-foot sailing vessel around
10:00 a.m. on Feb. 24.
 The vessel had sunk, and the four people
onboard were adrift in a life raft when a Navy
helicopter from Naval Station Roosevelt Roads,
Puerto Rico, came to their aid.
 The four people were hoisted aboard the
helicopter and taken to the Naval base.

MFY2013 45
 Official (Open)

 A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules was airborne in

the Windward Pass and was diverted to the
scene with about eight hours left of flight time.

 The aircraft received a strong signal from the

121.5 MHz homer in the EPIRB, and was able to
home in on the life raft with the four persons
on board.

 The C-130 deployed a small survival pack to the

stranded sailors until they could be rescued.

MFY2013 46
 Official (Open)

 As the vessel sank, its 406 MHz emergency

position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was
activated.
 The signal was detected by the Cospas-Sarsat
system, and NOAA notified the Coast Guard.
 The U.S. Coast Guard’s Rescue Sub-Center
(RSC) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contacted all
agencies in the area requesting air support for a
long-range offshore flight,
 But no aircraft were immediately available.
 San Juan RSC then contacted Coast Guard in
Miami for additional air support.
MFY2013 47
 Official (Open)

The End.

MFY2013 48