In an emergency there is no time to search for words. These terms and commands must be automatic — lives depend on them. Here are the alarms, drills, commands, life-saving and fire-fighting equipment, first aid and public-address announcements.
Alarms & signals
- General alarm — seven short blasts plus one long.
- Fire alarm / abandon ship — the two most serious.
- Man overboard (MOB).
- Muster / muster station / muster list — assembly / where / who goes where.
- Emergency stations — take your emergency positions.
Drills
- Fire drill / boat drill (abandon ship drill) — the routine exercises.
- Enclosed space rescue drill — confined-space rescue practice.
- Head count / roll call — checking everyone is present.
- This is a drill — always announced to avoid panic.
Commands & reports
- Raise the alarm / sound the alarm — start the alarm.
- Report to your muster station — assemble.
- All crew accounted for / one person missing — the head-count result.
- Fight the fire / boundary cooling — attack / cool the surrounding structure.
- Close the fire doors / stop ventilation — contain the fire.
- Is anyone injured? / send the first aid party — casualties / medical response.
- Prepare the lifeboats / lower the lifeboat — abandon-ship actions.
Fire fighting (FFA)
- Fire extinguisher (foam / CO2 / dry powder) — the portable types.
- Fire hose / nozzle / hydrant — the water attack gear.
- Fire main / fire pump — the pressurised system.
- Breathing apparatus (SCBA) / fireman's outfit — the personal fire gear.
- Fire blanket / EEBD — smothering / emergency escape breathing device.
Life-saving (LSA)
- Lifejacket / lifebuoy — personal / throwing float.
- Immersion suit / lifeboat / liferaft — survival craft and suit.
- EPIRB / SART — the distress-locating beacons.
- Line-throwing appliance / pyrotechnics (flares) — the signalling gear.
- Muster list / embarkation station — the plan / where you board the boats.
First aid
- Injured / unconscious / bleeding / burn / fracture — the conditions.
- Casualty / stretcher / CPR — the person / carrier / resuscitation.
- Call for medical assistance — get help.
PA announcement
The phrase you must not confuse:
"Attention all crew. Fire in the engine room. This is NOT a drill. Report to your muster stations immediately."
Or the opposite:
"Attention all crew. Fire drill, fire drill. This is a drill. Report to your muster stations."
Mini-dialogue (roll call at muster)
Officer: "Muster complete? Report."
Bosun: "Deck party all present."
Second Engineer: "Engine party all present, one person missing — the wiper."
Officer: "Send a search party for the wiper, last seen in the engine room."
Safety is the common language of seafarers everywhere. Vacancies from owners who take safety seriously are on seajobs.pro.