Specifications

Chapter 11
Emergency calling procedures
Emergency calls are made when “There is a grave and imminent danger to life”,
and can have several reasons to be transmitted. Emergency calls may be made over
any of the communication means employed within the UN such as, HF radio, VHF
radio and telephone (land line, mobile or satellite).
Reasons for an emergency call to be initiated are:
• False alarm (accidental or to produce interference).
• Serious traffic accident.
• Robbery.
• Attack.
• Abduction.
These calls can be either a voice call requesting immediate assistance or a pre-
programmed sequence in the radio equipment initiated by the user.
Emergency voice call
When an emergency voice call is received via HF or VHF radio, it has absolute
priority over all other transmissions. It is to be treated seriously and all essential
actions taken with this in mind.
Radio operators may have just the one opportunity to record the information
transmitted by the caller. The caller may have suffered personal injury and become
unconscious or have had the radio taken away from them. Therefore, all details of the
initial emergency call must be as accurate as possible.
Three important pieces of information a radio operator will need to receive are:
• WHO (Your call sign)
• WHERE (Your location)
• WHAT (Nature of emergency)
Commonly referred as WWW – Who are you, Where are you, and What is the
problem.
An emergency call is to be spoken using the following procedure:
“EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY”
Charlie Sierra Base this is Tango Foxtrot Eight Three Three EMERGENCY over
The radio operator’s initial response to the emergency call would be to ask the caller
for their location and emergency information.
Example:
Tango Foxtrot Eight Three Three this is Charlie Sierra Base what is your location and
what is the nature of your emergency over.
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