🔍 Key Concepts

• Distress vs. Urgency vs. Safety priority levels in radiotelephone procedures • The specific spoken words used to begin an urgency call • How MAYDAY, PAN PAN, and SECURITE differ in meaning and priority

💭 Think About

• Which word is used when there is a serious and urgent situation, but the vessel is NOT in immediate danger of sinking or loss of life? • Which word is reserved strictly for immediate danger to life or vessel? • Which word is used for safety messages like navigation or weather warnings, rather than a problem with a specific vessel?

✅ Before You Answer

• Match each term to its official category: distress, urgency, or safety • Recall the order of priority: which call has the highest level, which is in the middle, and which is lowest? • Verify which signal is defined in marine radio procedures (47 CFR and ITU rules) specifically as the urgency signal, not distress or safety.