VHF Poll

[NoRegrets]

If you have a radio on board you are supposed to monitor and render assistance if a call is made.

For over the "air" distress signals "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is .........)" is the most severe distress call.

Where immediate assistance is not needed but you want specific agency to know of a situation you should use "Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan this is .......). If your radio can pick up the coast card responses you will hear Pan-Pan called out fairly frequently.

Mayday was derived from the French term “venez m'aider” - "come help me".
Pan stands for Possible Assistance Needed.

MistyBlue - Thanks for so eloquently describing the power of broadcasting to a relavant audience. Everyone should always keep their device on when possible in the event they can prevent a bad situation from going tragic.

[Breakwater]

I have a VHF for 2 reasons;

1. Others boaters will hear my calls for help and start responding when 911 is between me and an operator in Concord that then calls the fire dept.

2. My VHF is connected to my GPS and upon pressing an emergency button...my exact location is transmitted to other VHF radios. This is a common feature on most basic level radios. And its another relatively inexpensive layer of insurance when a boat is on fire or sinking.

My $.02!

[BroadHopper]

My Formula came with VHF from the factory. I have little use for it on the lake other than to monitor channel 16 or hail another boat in case I see danger. Something you can't do with a cell phone. How would you know the other boat's 10 digit number????

On the intercoastal, the 'chatter' can be very beneficial. Weather or accident ahead etc.

My monitor is 23 years old! I'm wondering how long monitors last?

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Even if you have VHF, please consider putting these numbers in you cell phone.

Copied and pasted from Marine Patrol's web site to avoid any errors on my part.

In an emergency situation, call 603-293-2037 or 877-642-9700.

You won't have time to find the number in an emergency so please put it in you phone now.

[Sandy Beach]

Originally Posted by Breakwater

I have a VHF for 2 reasons;

1. Others boaters will hear my calls for help and start responding when 911 is between me and an operator in Concord that then calls the fire dept.

2. My VHF is connected to my GPS and upon pressing an emergency button...my exact location is transmitted to other VHF radios. This is a common feature on most basic level radios. And its another relatively inexpensive layer of insurance when a boat is on fire or sinking.

My $.02!

I remember posts from a year or two ago where very few people used that digital selective calling system on the lake. The Marine Patrol, Sea Tow and Tow Boat US did NOT monitor channel 70 for that DCS emergency distress and location system in past years as I recall. It's been several years that new fixed mount VHF radios have been required to have at least basic DCS ability but you must apply for and program in your unique vessel ID. It's easy to do but most people on the lake don't. Ocean going groups find it very helpful for regular activities as well as emergencies.

At the lake most VHF users monitor Ch 16 for voice communications but not the DCS system on Channel 70. In fact they often use channel 70 for idle chit-chat which blocks that channel for the digital DCS emergency use.

[Kamper]

FYI - If you have trouble on the lake -DO NOT- call 911 from your cell. You will get the Sherriff's office who will insist on taking down all your info so they can relay it if they drop the call...

If you don't have their number pre-loaded just call 411. Advise the operator you want to be transferred to NHMP in (Glendale?) NH. It will cost you $1 or so, but takes a minute instead of 10.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Kamper

FYI - If you have trouble on the lake -DO NOT- call 911 from your cell. You will get the Sherriff's office who will insist on taking down all your info so they can relay it if they drop the call...

If you don't have their number pre-loaded just call 411. Advise the operator you want to be transferred to NHMP in (Glendale?) NH. It will cost you $1 or so, but takes a minute instead of 10.

Not only is that bad advice, it could prove to be deadly advice.

When you dial 911 you do not get the "Sheriff's Office", you get the E911 Communications Center in Concord. And along with your phone's information your GPS location is also imbedded and available for the E911 operator to relay to emergency responders. In addition the operator, based on your location, can immediately tranfer emergency operation to all responders that are necessary including Marine Patrol and local Fire/EMS/Rescue and other law enforcement personnel that may be needed.

Yes the operator will ask you for identifying information and it in now way requires 10 minutes of your time as you imply.

Additionally the staff at E911 have personnel available that can offer a variety of resources of information regarding first aid should you need it.

In an emergency where every second counts at out on a body of water where many times a caller does not know there exact location, bypassing the E911 center could prove deadly for those that need assistance.

[BroadHopper]

Whatever happen to the E911 Emergency Communications Center in Laconia? I thought that is where Lakes Regions calls are handled? There is another one up in Plymouth.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

Whatever happen to the E911 Emergency Communications Center in Laconia? I thought that is where Lakes Regions calls are handled? There is another one up in Plymouth.

...It is the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Communications Center. They provide dispatch service for Fire and Medical to over 35 Communities.

Back a few months ago, my wife had a medical issue in the early morning hours. I was still in bed, and finally heard her calling me. I called 911, who verified info and transferred me over to LRMFA who dispatched the ambulance and stayed on the line with me until the ambulance crew not only arrived, but were in the house. Seemless transfer, and very professional and yet compassionate. And thankfully, after half a day in the hospital, all was well.

Here is a link to their website:

http://www.lrmfa.org/quick.asp

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Skip,
Is the 911 location capability only good from a land line or will they know where we are on the water with a cell phone? (With a non gps cell phone)
Thanks

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

Skip,
Is the 911 location capability only good from a land line or will they know where we are on the water with a cell phone? (With a non gps cell phone)
Thanks

It is good for a cell phone. A GPS equipped phone with an accurate LOS to the birds obviously will give a fix accurate to within meters, but even with a non-GPS phone the companies use several algorithms that can get a very accurate fix on yor phone using several types of trianglization schemes. Long story short it is an FCC mandate and it actually works quite well, and is becoming almost commonplace in its usage now. Additionally the FCC is requiring extreme accuracy requirements over the upcoming years.

Just to recap, all E911 calls go to Concord. In Concord they will determine and classify your emergency and then electronically hand down the call to the applicable local dispatch center. This not only includes the actual phone call, but all information the Concord E911 dispatcher enters into their call screen is also electronically transferred to the applicable local dispatch center so the secondary dispatcher doesn't have to duplicate the effort of re-entering all the call data.

One other important note. In Concord there are multiple dispatcher operators on duty that can handle any multitude of simultaneous calls, especially important in a large scale emergency. The local dispatch center may have limited staff, sometimes only one person on duty depending on the area. Say a number of boaters simultaneously see an incident on the Lake and all decide to call NHMP direct. It could easily and quickly overload the limited staff there, especially if they are already handling multiple incidents. By calling E911 direct calls can be prioritized and multiple calls reporting the same incident can be screened. Finally, the E911 center has the capabiltiy to divert or spread calls out over various agencies if need be.

In short if it is an emergency call it is my opinion that dialing 911 in the State of New Hampshire ensures the shortest response possible while also making sure that your call is always routed to the appropriate agency. Times have indeed changed, for the better, over the last few years!

[Seeker]

I have an older VHF handheld SMR Sealab 9000. It needs a battery which costs $29.99 and takes about 30 days minimum to get. (Unless you know someone who can solder 8 1.2V ni-cads together.) I have the manual, case and charger. If anyone can use it it's free. It's an older, larger radio but will give you the marine freqs plus 4 wx channels.
PM me if you want it and we'll discuss pickup.

[NH_boater]

You guys pushed me over the edge. Added handheld 6 watt VHF today. Better to have and not need then.......

Plus, I now feel better equipped to help out someone else in distress.

[VitaBene]

This is a great thread- thank you for starting it!!

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by Skip

... you get the E911 Communications Center in Concord. ...

Your information may be more current than mine but when I made my call, earlier in the century, that is what happenned.

Thanks for the update!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

Even if you have VHF, please consider putting these numbers in you cell phone.

Copied and pasted from Marine Patrol's web site to avoid any errors on my part.

In an emergency situation, call 603-293-2037 or 877-642-9700.

You won't have time to find the number in an emergency so please put it in you phone now.

Are these still good numbers? The last time I dialed them, I got into a NH State Police "telephone-tree":

"If you know know your party's extension—dial it now".

[Kamper]

Use 911 id you are using your cell phone for an emergency. I had previously suggested using direct numbers but it was pointed out that 911 will almost always have more operators on duty. Other reasons were advised to me but 911 has access to your cell phone's "GPS" co-ordinates and can relay them to MP if you lose the connection.

Refer to Skip's posts above for more detail.

Good luck!