Communications Distress & Urgency Procedures

Communications Distress & Urgency Procedures Contents Overview... 2 1. Terminology... 2 1.1 Distress... 2 1.2 Urgency... 3 1.3 SAROP... 3 2. Communications... 4 2.1 General Principles... 4 2.2 VHF Channel 16... 5 2.3 Initial SAR Priorities... 5 2.4 Coastguard Rescue Vessel Response... 6 2.5 Use of Cell Phones during Distress/Urgency... 7 2.6 Operator Effects... 7 3. Radio Procedures... 8 3.1 Distress Call and Message... 8 3.2 Urgency Call and Message... 8 3.3 Actions on Receipt of Distress and Urgency Calls... 9 3.4 Acknowledgement of Distress and Urgency Calls... 10 3.5 No Response Calls... 11 3.6 Relaying Distress/Urgency Messages... 12 3.7 Control of Distress Traffic... 13 Distress and Urgency situations are Coastguard s raison d etre. If you would like to make suggestions for improvement to this document, please send an email with as much information to the following email address: sartrainingfeedback@coastguard.co.nz If you would like to give feedback regarding your training experience please do so at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/sartrainingfeedback Coastguard New Zealand 2017 1

Refer to the Maritime New Zealand Radio Handbook (3 rd Edition 2015) Refer to the Coastguard VHF/MROC Course Handbook Overview It is crucial that all Radio Operators have a thorough understanding of the principles and procedures to be applied when Distress and Urgency situations arise. The purpose of this module is to guide Radio Operators through the process of dealing with a Search and Rescue (SAR) incident, from recognising a Distress or Urgency call to capturing the essential information to execute a swift and effective SAR Response. It highlights the conditions that dictate Distress or Urgency and how Distress and Urgency situations are communicated. It sets out the correct VHF Radio procedures which are essential to optimise the Coastguard response to such incidents. The aim of this module is to ensure Radio Operators are knowledgeable and proficient at handling Distress and Urgency traffic and confident in the procedures during Distress and Urgency incidents, including having practical tips to help the stricken vessel and maintaining a calm and confident manner to reassure them. Coastguard promotes itself as the Charity Saving Lives at Sea therefore the handling of Distress and Urgency incidents is the most important role of Radio Operators. 1. Terminology 1.1 Distress Situations that would definitely be considered as being Distress are: Fire on a vessel Sinking Man Overboard Collision Grounding at speed Capsize Life threatening medical emergency Diving emergency Bridge Fall DISTRESS A situation where a vessel, aircraft, other craft or person is threatened by GRAVE and IMMINENT danger and requires IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. There are of course other situations that could be Distress and if the Radio Operator believes that this is the case then they should treat it as such. It is important to note that a station in Distress may use any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its position and obtain help. Recognised International Distress Signals include: Radiotelephone signal Red parachute flare or red handheld flare Orange smoke signal Flames from a vessel Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon ( EPIRB ) Situations can be re-assessed as more information becomes available and it is better to have to downgrade from Distress than have to upgrade to Distress. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 2

Slow and repeated raising and lowering of arms outstretched to each side SOS signal made by any signalling method Continuous sounding of any fog-signalling apparatus Gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about one minute Radiotelephone alarm signal (HF/MF - warbling tones) Rockets or shells, throwing red starts, fired one at a time at short intervals International Code Signal of N over C Square flag with a ball shape above or below it Medical Evacuations (for illness or accidents) are NOT normally classified as SAROPs but fall under the responsibility of the regional Ambulance service. Any medical incidents therefore must be passed to Ambulance Communications by phone. An exception is where a SAROP involves an injured person, who would remain part of the SAROP until they are passed to Ambulance on shore. 1.2 Urgency The Urgency radiotelephone signal PAN PAN is used when a signal is not warranted but Urgency is required for the safety of the vessel or person ie, there is no grave and imminent danger at this stage. Examples of situations that would be considered as Urgency: 1.3 SAROP Taking on water but controlling by bailing at this stage Serious injuries or medical conditions but not thought to be life threatening at this stage Mechanical breakdown in adverse weather conditions or dragging towards a lee shore SAROPs are classified into two categories and once the initial Distress or Urgency message has been received, acknowledged and relayed on appropriate channels, Coastguard has a responsibility to contact the external partner agency which has legal responsibility for controlling the particular SAROP. 1.3.1 Category I These incidents are controlled by the New Zealand Police and are defined as: Land operations Subterranean operations River, lake, and inland waterway operations Close-to-shore marine operations The nature of close-to-shore operations will vary according to the availability of local resources and the need to task national assets. Typically such operations will be within NZ Territorial Waters (12 nautical miles). Category I incidents typically require the use of local personnel and resources and can be carried out efficiently and effectively at the local level. URGENCY A situation where a vessel, aircraft or person has a very urgent message to transmit concerning their safety. SAROP The response to a Distress or Urgency situation is referred to as a Search and Rescue Operation. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 3

1.3.2 Category II These incidents are controlled by the Rescue Co-ordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) and are defined as: Operations associated with missing aircraft or aircraft in Distress Off-shore marine operations within the NZ SAR region SAROPs for beacon activations Category II incidents typically require the use of national or international resources and may involve co-ordination with other countries. 1.3.3 Identification of Lead Agency It is important to know who the Lead Agency (coordinating authority) for an incident is. If there is any doubt about which category a SAROP falls into then this decision is made by consultation between the Police and RCCNZ. Note that aircraft incidents are always coordinated by RCCNZ. When the Lead Agency is the Police, we must further identify who within the Police is acting as Incident Control (Police Communications Centre, Regional SAR or Police Maritime Unit). If in doubt, ask the Police Communications Centre who is Incident Control. The Lead Agency may change during a SAROP and if in doubt, ask who the Lead Agency is. 2. Communications Pass ALL information to the Lead Agency, in order of importance - Position, Problem, People first - and include contact details of informants. Advising the other agencies can be time consuming. Remember that most of them have recorded tapes, so if you are very busy, you can just give them the information you have without interruption and they can retrieve it from their tapes. 2.1 General Principles VHF radiotelephone Distress and Urgency messages are generally transmitted on VHF Channel 16 but may also be transmitted on a Coastguard working channel. Distress and Urgency messages may also be received by telephone from the vessel in difficulty, another vessel or from a shore based informant such as family of the people in difficulty or from someone who has sighted the vessel and its predicament from land. Also, Coastguard may be advised of a Distress or Urgency incident by one of our partner Search and Rescue Agencies Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand (RCCNZ), Police, Maritime Radio, Ambulance or Fire. Ultimately, it is the skipper s decision as to the level of Distress or Urgency they are declaring. If they do not classify the situation as Distress or Urgency, Coastguard can upgrade the classification if questioning the skipper gives reason to believe that a declaration of Distress or Urgency is appropriate. It is important therefore to ask are you in immediate danger if circumstances indicate that the vessel may be in such difficulty. Upon hearing a Distress message or receiving information of any Distress situation or learning of a Distress situation, you must treat it as if we had received a call. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 4

2.2 VHF Channel 16 Refer to the MNZ Radio Handbook for the Maritime Radio station names throughout New Zealand. Refer to the MNZ Radio Handbook for the Maritime Radio station names throughout New Zealand. VHF Channel 16 is the international VHF Distress and initial calling channel. This is operated throughout New Zealand by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), out of the Marine Operations Centre (MOC) in Avalon, using the name <Station> Maritime Radio (eg, Auckland Maritime Radio, Plenty Maritime Radio. Maritime Radio is responsible for answering all Distress or Urgency calls on Ch 16. Nevertheless, there should always be a Coastguard Radio Operator monitoring Ch 16 and Coastguard Radio will normally promptly broadcast Distress or Urgency Relays of these calls on the relevant Coastguard working channels. These situations may result in the ongoing involvement of Coastguard Communications and Coastguard Rescue Resources. Coastguard Radio s coverage of Ch 16 is not as extensive as the Maritime Radio coverage and often only the MOC response to a vessel s call is heard. In a Distress or Urgency situation the Maritime Radio read back of the information they have received must be recorded on the Incident Sheet. In the unlikely event that Maritime Radio do not respond to a Distress or Urgency call on Ch 16 within 20 seconds, Coastguard Radio should answer the call. Occasionally vessels will address their calls on Ch 16 to Coastguard Radio and in these cases we must promptly move them to the appropriate Coastguard working channel, EXCEPT when the vessel is either: in a Distress or Urgency situation; or not able to change to or communicate on another frequency; in which cases we proceed on Ch 16. If a Radio Operator monitoring Ch 16 is in any doubt about the situation of a vessel calling Coastguard Radio on this channel then they should answer as follows: <Vessel Name/Callsign>, THIS IS Coastguard Radio, if you are in danger or require immediate assistance go ahead on this channel, otherwise move to channel xx and call again, OVER 2.3 Initial SAR Priorities For a Distress or Urgency incident the first priority is to obtain sufficient information to mount a successful rescue operation. The essential information required is: Identity of the distressed craft or persons Location of the distressed craft or persons Nature of Distress or Urgency and type of assistance required Number of people involved Remember the 3 P s: Position Problem and Assistance Required People on Board Coastguard New Zealand 2017 5

Distressed craft s intentions, course and speed if applicable Description of distressed craft or persons Any other information that will expedite the SAR operation Refer to the Incident Taking Module for further details. Refer to Regional SOPs for the structure within your Region for the command of the Coastguard resources and activities involved in a SAROP. Although the 3 P s are the main focus we should also obtain any other information that would make the rescue effort quicker and more effective. We should get a vessel description, weather and sea conditions and details of any rescue equipment on board the vessel. The SAR action plan will then be implemented: Acknowledge receipt of the Distress or Urgency message and confirm the details Relay the message on VHF Channel 16 and all appropriate Coastguard working channels Relay on other channels used in the area Task/Page the appropriate CRVs or Unit Duty Officer Record details of times actions are taken on Incident Sheet All CRVs crewed and available MUST respond to Distress or Urgency message until stood down Record details of times of assets responding and ETAs Inform and provide a full brief to Police or RCCNZ within ten minutes of initial call whenever possible Obtain a Police event number for future reference Advise vessel in difficulty or informant of action taken The Incident Controller for a SAROP will be either the Police (Category I) or RCCNZ (Category II). Your job as a Radio Operator is to pass on messages as required and to record all communications on an Incident Sheet. If you are not involved with the incident then you should continue to monitor your assigned channels as normal. Be aware of the local channels for the Region 2.4 Coastguard Rescue Vessel Response Coastguard Rescue Vessels (CRVs) who are on the water will respond to the original Distress or Urgency message or to the Relay broadcast in one of two ways, depending on their distance to the scene: CRVs within reasonable distance from the incident will roll immediately and place a radio call stating their ETA and the word "responding. This will be acknowledged by the Radio Operator and CRVs that are not required can be stood down as appropriate. CRVs whose Masters judge their ETA is such that they are unlikely to be required will still place a radio call with their ETA and the words "if required. They will not roll to the incident unless tasked to do so, but will ready themselves for rapid deployment if required as the situations develops. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 6

2.5 Use of Cell Phones during Distress/Urgency Be aware of the limitations of cell phones in these situations: Cell phones only provide person-to-person communication. Cell phone coverage can change without warning and many areas do not have coverage. Advise the person to keep the line free for search and rescue services. Advise the person not to hang up after talking to search and rescue services unless instructed to do so. Enquire as to the remaining battery life for the cell phone. In many emergencies, vessels in the vicinity are in the best position to provide assistance. They will be unaware of an emergency unless VHF radio or flares are used. Early Relay broadcasts are therefore recommended where initial notification of a Distress or Urgency incident has been by cell phone. When receiving a Distress or Urgency call by cell phone, ASK FOR THEIR CELL PHONE NUMBER EARLY in case you need to ring them back. Cell phones can be of some use though: Cell phones do provide an effective alternative to VHF radio when the cell phone is protected in a water-proof plastic bag and where there is good cell phone coverage. A cell phone may also be used as a (weak) guiding light for searchers in the absence of torches, flares or navigation lights. Police can obtain a position from a cell phone through the cell phone network and there are other methods to do this if it is a smartphone. Refer to Regional readyreference resources for Cue Cards and Distress Prompts. 2.6 Operator Effects Radio Operators should be aware of and prepared for the effects that a major incident may have on them: Distress and Urgency situations can cause operators to panic and freeze up, so always remember to follow the Cue Cards or other appropriate prompts. Breathe. Compose yourself before making radio calls. Keep messages short and to the point so as to leave the channel as clear as possible for essential traffic. Keep your Distress Prompts available at all times. Keep a supply of blank Incident Sheets on your desk at all times If you are in over your head, ask for help. Be aware of the after effects of traumatic incidents Coastguard offers free counselling for all volunteers and staff. Talk to your Duty Officer about counselling after any traumatic incident. Take advantage of debriefs for counselling and improving your skills and knowledge. Think BASS Brevity, Accuracy, Speed, Secrecy. Be brief, think of the essentials you want to transmit. Be accurate with your information. Slow down your speech. For sensitive information use a communication system that is more secure (i.e. cell phone). Coastguard New Zealand 2017 7

3. Radio Procedures Refer to Cue Cards in Regional readyreference resources for actions in specific situations such as: Bar Crossing Overdue Bridge Fall Collision Diving Emergency EPIRB Activation Fire Flare sighting Grounding Lost Medical Sinking Speechless call Tsunami 3.1 Distress Call and Message A vessel declaring Distress should follow the Distress procedure which consists of the Distress call followed by the Distress message. A Distress call has absolute priority over all other transmissions and the use of is prohibited except in cases of genuine Distress. Distress Call The radiotelephone Distress call is the Distress signal (spoken three times), the proword THIS IS and the Name of the vessel in Distress (spoken three times) and it s Callsign (spoken once). Distress Message The Distress call should immediately be followed by the Distress message, which consists of: Identity - Name and Callsign of the vessel in Distress Position latitude and longitude co-ordinates and/or as a true bearing and distance from a charted geographical point Nature of Distress and the assistance required Number of people on board Other information that may help the rescue - eg, description of the vessel and the sea conditions OVER Example:,, THIS IS ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ZM1726 ALBATROSS, ZM1726 From Little Barrier Island, South, 7 nautical miles Holed and sinking - engine room flooded - require immediate assistance Three people on board Sea rough OVER 3.2 Urgency Call and Message A vessel declaring Urgency should follow the Urgency procedure which consists of the Urgency call followed by the Urgency message. This may be addressed either to ALL STATIONS or to a particular station. An Urgency call has priority over all other communications except Distress. Urgency Call The radiotelephone Urgency call is the Urgency signal PAN PAN (spoken three times), then either ALL STATIONS or the Name of the station the message is being directed to (spoken three times), the proword THIS IS It is very important that you are always ready to respond to a Distress or Urgency call, or to broadcast Distress and Urgency relays or other messages, and you should always have Distress Prompts available on your computer screen or desktop Coastguard New Zealand 2017 8

and the Name of the vessel requiring assistance (spoken three times) and its Callsign (spoken once). Urgency Message The Urgency call should immediately be followed by the Urgency message, which consists of: Position - latitude and longitude co-ordinates and/or as a true bearing and distance from a charted geographical point Nature of Problem and assistance required Number of people on board Other information that may help the rescue eg, description of the vessel and sea conditions OVER Example: PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN All Stations, All Stations, All Stations THIS IS ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ZM1726 From Kapiti Island, West, 3 nautical miles Dismasted and drifting - require tow Three people on board Sea smooth no immediate danger OVER 3.3 Actions on Receipt of Distress and Urgency Calls If the Distress/Urgency message was made on VHF Channel 16 then allow Maritime Radio 20 seconds to respond before acknowledging. Upon hearing a Distress or Urgency message on your channel, you must: Write ALL details on an INCIDENT SHEET (if you are monitoring other channels but are not busy, then you should also start to record the details on an Incident Sheet). Check that all the required information for the Distressed vessel has been received, particularly: o o o o Identity - Name and Callsign Position of the vessel Problem - nature of Distress and assistance required POB Ensure your Duty Officer is immediately aware of the situation. Acknowledge receipt of message (using correct radio procedure as set out below), request confirmation of details received and follow-up any further initial information required. Relay the message on all available channels for that area - including the channel the initial Distress or Urgency message was received on (using correct radio procedure). Coastguard New Zealand 2017 9. If there is any doubt as to the vessel s position or other information provided, then after acknowledging receipt, read back the information to confirm it, eg, immediately after Received, say Please CONFIRM Position is 5 nautical miles west of Kapiti Island, OVER.

ALL initial calls (ie, handshakes ) after the Relay should be prefixed for Distress or PAN PAN for Urgency until the Distress or Urgency situation has been cancelled. Follow normal incident procedures. 3.4 Acknowledgement of Distress and Urgency Calls Any shore station, such as Coastguard Radio, hearing a Distress or Urgency message must write down the details and acknowledge that the message has been received. When no response is heard from a shore station, any other station hearing the Distress or Urgency message must acknowledge it and then take all possible steps, including broadcasting a Relay, to attract the attention of other stations that may be able to help. Refer to Regional readyreference resources for the Distress Prompts for the transmissions set out in sections 3.4 to 3.7. As soon as you have heard a Distress or Urgency message you must acknowledge receipt of the message so that the station issuing the message knows that it has been received. Acknowledging a Distress Message The acknowledgement of a Distress Message should take the following form: (once) Vessel Name (three times) and its Callsign (once) THIS IS Coastguard Radio (three times) Received OVER Example: ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ZM1726 This is Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio Received OVER Acknowledging an Urgency Message The acknowledgement of an Urgency Message should take the following form: PAN PAN (once) Vessel Name (three times) and its Callsign (once) THIS IS Coastguard Radio (three times) Your PAN message received OVER Coastguard New Zealand 2017 10

Example: PAN PAN ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ALBATROSS, ZM1726 THIS IS Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio Your PAN message received, OVER 3.5 No Response Calls Distress and Urgency calls may be cut short for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, the stress of dealing with the situation may mean that the message sent by a vessel in Distress is incomplete. The aim of the shore station is to take control by remaining calm and providing prompts to the vessel to obtain the information required to respond to their situation. The procedures for responding to these calls are as follows: When you just hear the word Station in Distress THIS IS Coastguard Radio Please identify your vessel, give your position, nature of Distress and number of people on board. OVER When you just hear the words PAN PAN PAN PAN Station Calling PAN PAN THIS IS Coastguard Radio Please identify your vessel, give your position, nature of Urgency and number of persons on board OVER When there is no response to your calls to the vessel When there is no response from a vessel which has only managed to transmit the word or PAN PAN, you should aim to determine if any other vessel received any additional information. This may happen if the vessel s signal is not strong enough to be received by the shore station but is received by a vessel nearby. Distress Example: RELAY (three times) or All Stations (three times) THIS IS Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio On <VHF Channel XX> At <time message was heard> NZ<S/D>T A Distress call was heard. No other information was received. Any station with further information please advise. Coastguard Radio OVER In deciding whether to prefix this call as RELAY or All Stations, judgement must be exercised as to whether the call might be a hoax or not. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 11

Urgency Example: PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN All Stations, All Stations, All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio On <VHF Channel XX> At <time message was heard> NZ<S/D>T An Urgency call was heard. No other information was received. Any station with further information please advise. Coastguard Radio OVER 3.6 Relaying Distress/Urgency Messages Shore stations receiving Distress or Urgency messages will, in most cases, re-broadcast ( Relay ) the message to summon further assistance. Coastguard Radio would normally re-broadcast Distress or Urgency Relay messages on VHF Channel 16 (or arrange for Maritime Radio to broadcast these on our behalf when outside of our Channel 16 coverage area), the appropriate Coastguard channel for the area and any other relevant channel (e.g. VHF Channel 01 for Great Barrier Island). Relaying a Distress Message The Distress Relay consists of the signal RELAY (spoken three times), the words All Stations (three times), the proword THIS IS, the Name of the relaying station (spoken three times) and its Callsign (spoken once) followed by the Distress message as broadcast by the vessel in Distress. Note that because Coastguard Radio monitors multiple channels, the channel and time of the initial Distress message is also stated. Example: RELAY, RELAY, RELAY All Stations, All Station, All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio Following received on <VHF Channel XX (or via telephone)> At <time message received> NZ<S/D>T ALBATROSS, ZM 1726 5 nautical miles west of Kapiti Island - holed and listing heavily - engine room flooded - require immediate assistance - three people on board - sea rough Coastguard Radio OVER Relaying an Urgency Message The Urgency Relay consists of the signal PAN PAN (three times), the words All Stations (three times), the words THIS IS, the Name of the relaying station (three times) and its Callsign (once) followed by the Urgency message as broadcast by the vessel requiring assistance. Note that because Coastguard Radio monitors multiple channels, the channel and time of the initial Distress message is also stated. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 12

Example: PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN All Stations, All Stations, All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio, Coastguard Radio Following received on <VHF Channel XX (or via telephone)> At <time message received> NZ<S/D>T PAN PAN ALBATROSS, ZM1726 5 nautical miles west of Kapiti Island dismasted and drifting - require tow - three people on board sea smooth no immediate danger Coastguard Radio OVER 3.7 Control of Distress Traffic Once a Distress situation has been declared, ALL calls regarding the situation are to be prefixed with the word. Refer to Regional Communications SOPs for specific details. Control of Distress traffic is the responsibility of the vessel in Distress or the station relaying a Distress message. In most cases, control will be transferred to Maritime Radio or another shore station relaying the Distress message, such as Coastguard Radio. Imposing Radio Silence If necessary, the station in Distress or the station in control of the Distress traffic may impose radio silence on All Stations or specific stations using the signal SEELONCE. Example: All Stations or <Vessel Name/Callsign> THIS IS Coastguard Radio SEELONCE, OUT In some cases, particularly where non-urgent traffic persists despite SEELONCE calls, an All Stations broadcast may be made explaining the reason for radio silence. Also, vessels may be directed to an alternative channel, such as another working channel or a ship-to-ship repeater channel, for non-urgent traffic. Example: All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio Coastguard Radio is currently handling Distress traffic on this channel. For routine traffic move to channel XX SEELONCE, OUT Coastguard New Zealand 2017 13

Activity: What actions are to be taken and transmissions made in the following situations: On Ch 16:, THIS IS Wanderer, hit rocks off <location>, sinking, 3 POB. On CG Channel: Help, my rudder has fallen off, taking on water, 20 metres off rocks at <location>. From Police: 111 call received from resident at <location>, who can see a yacht on fire one mile out to sea. Telephone call: From resident at <location>, can see a small boat swamped by a wave just off the shore, at least two people in water, no lifejackets, drifting out from boat. Resumption of Restricted Working When complete silence is no longer necessary on a channel being used for Distress radio traffic, the controlling station will transmit on that channel a message addressed to All Stations using the signal PRUDONCE to indicate that restricted working may be resumed with caution. Example: All Stations, All Stations, All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio <Current time> NZ<S/D>T ALBATROSS,ZM1726 PRUDONCE, OUT Resumption of Normal Working Distress and Urgency messages must be cancelled if it is subsequently found that help is no longer required or when the Distress or Urgency situation has finished. Cancellation of a Distress or Urgency message can only be made by the vessel who issued the original Distress or Urgency message or, if unavailable, by a suitable on-scene authority who is able to ascertain that the situation is no longer of Distress or Urgency (such as an on-scene rescue vessel skipper). When Distress communications have ceased, the controlling station will transmit a message addressed to All Stations using the signal SEELONCE FENEE to indicate that normal working may be resumed. A brief description of the resolution of the incident may be included. Example of Distress Cancellation: All Stations, All Stations, All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio At <Current time> NZ<S/D>T ALBATROSS, ZM1726 SEELONCE FENEE, OUT Example of Urgency Cancellation: PAN PAN All Stations, All Stations, All Stations THIS IS Coastguard Radio At <Current time> NZ<S/D>T PAN from ALBATROSS, ZM1726 CANCELLED, OUT When circumstances change, a vessel which has sent a Distress message may alter this to an Urgency message when imminent danger has passed. Likewise an Urgency message may be upgraded to a Distress message if a situation becomes more dangerous. Telephone calls: Two reports of red flares off <location>. Coastguard New Zealand 2017 14