GMDSS
OVERVIEW
An Overview of the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System
Over fifteen years ago the Maritime Organization (IMO),a United Nations
agency specializing in safety of shipping and preventing ships from
polluting the seas, began looking at ways of improving maritime distress
and safety communications. In 1979, a group of experts drafted the
International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, which called for
development of a global search and rescue plan. This group also passed a
resolution calling for development by IMO of a Global Maritime Distress
and Safety System (GMDSS) to provide the communication support needed to
implement the search and rescue plan. This new system, which the world's
maritime nations, including the United States, are implementing, is based
upon a combination of satellite and terrestrial radio services, and has
changed international distress communications from being primarily
ship-to-ship based to primarily ship-to-shore (Rescue Coordination Center)
based.
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