Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)

Basic Concept of the GMDSS

The fundamental difference between the old and the new distress system is that the new system is shore centred/coordinated and moves emphasis from ship to ship alerting to ship to shore alerting. The new system is quicker, simpler and, most importantly, more efficient and reliable than the old manual Morse Code and radiotelephone alerting system. GMDSS is specifically designed to automate a ships radio distress alerting function, and consequently, remove the requirement for manual (human) watch-keeping on distress channels.

The basic concept of the system is that search and rescue authorities ashore, as well as shipping in the immediate vicinity of the ship in distress, will be rapidly and automatically alerted to a distress situation so that they can assist in a co-coordinated SAR operation with minimum delay. The system also provides for urgency and safety communications, and the promulgation of maritime safety information (MSI) including- navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, and other urgent safety information to ships. In other words, every ship, fitted appropriately for GMDSS, is able, irrespective of the area in which it operates, to perform those communication functions, which are essential for the safety of the ship itself and of other ships operating in the same area.

Before

Now

Now

The GMDSS Equipment

FIGURE 1

GMDSS Concept
General concept of the GMDSS INMARSAT COSPAS SARSAT

Rescue co-ordination centre Coast earth station

Rescue co-ordination centre Local user terminal/mission control centre National/international networks

National/international networks

Coast station HF, MF, VHF

Coast station HF, MF, VHF

General radiocommunications e.g. medical advice, VTS, ship reporting etc.

Maritime safety information (MSI) Navigational warnings Meteorological warnings SAR information Seminar_01

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Functional requirements

The GMDSS regulations (chapter IV of the International SOLAS Convention), require that every GMDSS equipped ship shall be capable of;

1. Distress alerting Ship to shore EPIRB Digital Selective Calling (DSC) INMARSAT

2. Distress alerting Shore to ship

3. Distress alerting Ship to ship

4. Search and Rescue Co-ordinating Communications

5. On-Scene Communication

6. Locating

7. Transmission/Reception of Maritime Safety Information

8. General Radiocommunications

9. Bridge-to-Bridge Communications

Application
The GMDSS applies to vessels subject to the SOLAS Convention - that is: Commercial vessels of 300 Gross Registered Tons (GRT) and above, engaged on international voyages. The GMDSS became mandatory for such vessels as at February 1, 1999.

1 February 1992 ships may comply with the GMDSS requirements

1 August 1993 ships must comply with satellite EPIRB and NAVTEX requirements

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Second Outline Level

1 February 1995 ships built on or after this date must fully comply with the GMDSS requirements

Third Outline Level

Fourth

1 February 1999 ships must comply with the GMDSS requirements

Outline Level Fifth Outline

Equipment vs Operational requirements

The major difference between the GMDSS and its predecessor systems is that the radio communications equipment to be fitted to a GMDSS ship is determined by the ship's area of operation, rather than by its size.

Because the various radio systems used in the GMDSS have different limitations with regards to range and services provided, the new system divides the world's oceans into 4 areas: Sea Area 1 Sea Area 2 Sea Area 3 Sea Area 4

GMDSS Sea Area 1

This area of GMDSS is within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one VHF coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available. Such area could extend typically 30 50 nautical miles from the coast station.

GMDSS Sea Area 2

This area of GMDSS is an area excluding sea area A1, within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one MF coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available. Such area could extend typically about 50 400 nautical miles from the coast station

GMDSS Sea Area 3

This area of GMDSS is an area excluding sea area A1 and A2, within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one HF coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available. This area lies between about latitudes 70 North and South.

GMDSS Sea Area 4

This area of GMDSS is an area outside sea area A1, A2 and A3.