This week there was a brief press release in the Charleston Post and Courier on Rescue 21. The article provided very limited information on the system or how it worked. Most importantly there was no mention of VHF radios needing to be equipped with DSC service or the imperative need to register a MMSI number with the US Coast Guard. I thought we could fill in a few of the blanks here for those that are not already familiar with the system.
Rescue 21 is a system implemented by the US Coast Guard and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to aid in the location of boaters in distress while operating on coastal waters and offshore. To be properly linked to Rescue 21 your VHF radio must be equipped with Digital Selective Calling (DSC). This feature at one time was considered an upgrade on most VHF radios; however, over the last couple of years with the upgrades to the Coast Guard Search and Rescue Communication System the DSC feature has quickly become the most important feature offered on VHF radios today. This feature is now pretty much a standard regardless of the manufacturer and can be found even on the most basic models. DSC equipped units will have a small button usually protected with a cover and labeled “distress.” The distress button is located in an easily accessible location of the unit, typically on the front next to the volume control.
When DSC equipped VHF units are interlinked with the vessels GPS receiver the service will provide the Coast Guard with the vessels positioning when the distress feature is implemented. Each individual DSC equipped VHF is set up with a unique 9-digit Marine Mobile Service Identity (MMSI.) The MMSI must be registered and carries important information such as the vessels owner’s name, boat description, and family contact information. To register or update a MMSI number systems users can go to www.boatus.com. You may also want to check out all the latest information on the new Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (GMDSS) while visiting the site.