Apr 24 2010
RESCUE 21 – the coastal waters 911 – is getting closer
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The Coast Guard announced that the RESCUE 21 system installation will be complete for sector San Diego at the end of the month.
RESCUE 21 provides a greatly improved VHF communications system, but the most salient, to my mind, is the implementation of DSC – Digital Selective Calling.
You probably already have that on your boat. It’s the red button on your VHF. If the system is properly connected, when that button is pushed, you transmit your GPS position and an electronic MAYDAY.
LA sector is still blind to these calls and will be for some time, but it’s creeping our way and is scheduled for installation this December. So, if you haven’t installed a DSC capable radio, gotten you MMSI from Boat US or the FCC, it’s time to start getting your radio act together. Click on the chart above to see that we’re almost the last in the country to get the system. But we won’t be the very last. Alaska, which has a huge number of life-threatening boating incidents, isn’t scheduled until 2017.
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I highly recommend everyone with a DSC capable radio get their MMSI number and more importantly PROGRAM IT INTO THE RADIO!…just be careful as most radios only give you one shot and if you mess it up you’ll have to send the unit back to the mfg for a reset.
May I also suggest that you and your crew review how to make a “PAN PAN” and or “MAYDAY” call. Vessel name, location (GPS & geographical), nature of emergency, vessel description and souls aboard are a good start. If God forbid you’re going down with your ship at least you’ll sound like you know what the hell you are doing.