Global Maritime Distress Safety System
The Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) is an internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment, and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships, boats and aircraft. GMDSS consists of several systems, which are all interconnected. These include satellite and terrestrial radio communication systems, emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), search and rescue transponders (SARTs), and digital selective calling (DSC). The system is intended to perform distress alerting, search and rescue coordination, on-scene communication, and dissemination of maritime safety information. It is mandatory on any ship that sails internationally. The GMDSS ensures that, regardless of where a ship is in distress, the call for help can be heard and responded to. The system also provides for the automatic identification of the ship in distress to prevent false alerts and to assist in rescue operations.
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