What is Urgency and Safety communications ?

Alert is to be transmitted on the DSC distress frequencies. Urgency message normally to be transmitted on RT (Distress), 2182 kHz or NBDP frequency.
Moreover, in case of a long message, a medical call, or in areas of heavy traffic when the message in being repeated, then it is send on a working frequency after an announcement using the urgency signal on an appropriate distress frequency.

What does urgency signal mean:

Urgency signal PAN – PAN indicates that a very important message is to follow concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft or other vechile or the safety of a person.

Urgency Alert :-

In GMDSS urgency indicates that a very important message is to follow concerning the safety of ship, aircraft or other vechile or the safety of a person. Urgency call may be address to All Stations or to an Individual Station.

Example :

PAN PAN (x3)
All stations (x3) or Name of the station (x3)
This is
Name (x3)/ call sign/ MMSI of the station send message.
PAN PAN
This is
Ship’s Name / Call sign/ MMSI
position
Nature of urgency
Require of Tug/ Tow/ Medical advise
Master
Name of ship
Date/ Time (UTC)
Over

Note:- Time in UTC

Urgency communication has highest priority except distress

A station which receives the urgency alert/ signal which is not followed by the urgency message shall:-

1. Continue to listen for minimum 05 minutes on the appropriate frequency.
2. At the end of the period, if urgency message is heard, a land station, if possible be notified of the receipt of the urgency signal.
3. Thereafter normal working may be resumed.

Man Over Board :-

Distress priority for DSC (alerting) purpose but the subsequent RT procedure still requires the urgency signal PANPAN.