PCOC Emergency Response Protocols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passenger falls overboard in cold water. What is the FIRST action you should take?
- Throw a life ring or buoyant object immediately (Correct answer)
- Jump in to rescue the person
- Call the Coast Guard before doing anything else
- Stop the engine and wait for help
Correct answer: Throw a life ring or buoyant object immediately
Throwing a buoyant object gives the person something to hold while you maneuver the vessel for rescue.
Question 2: When signaling distress using a handheld flare, how should you hold it?
- Downwind and away from your body (Correct answer)
- Upwind and close to your chest
- Horizontally at arm's length
- Directly overhead pointing up
Correct answer: Downwind and away from your body
Holding the flare downwind keeps burning debris and sparks away from the boat and people.
Question 3: Your vessel is taking on water faster than your manual bilge pump can handle. What should you do next?
- Send a distress call and prepare to abandon ship (Correct answer)
- Increase engine speed to outrun the flooding
- Redistribute weight to the stern
- Open additional hatches for ventilation
Correct answer: Send a distress call and prepare to abandon ship
If flooding cannot be controlled, immediate distress signaling and preparing to abandon ship protects lives.
Question 4: Which VHF channel is designated for distress, urgency, and safety calls in the US?
- Channel 16 (Correct answer)
- Channel 22A
- Channel 9
- Channel 68
Correct answer: Channel 16
Channel 16 is the international distress and calling frequency monitored by the Coast Guard and other vessels.
Question 5: A crewmember has a suspected spinal injury after a collision. How should you move them?
- Keep them still and immobilized until professional help arrives (Correct answer)
- Carefully sit them upright to ease breathing
- Roll them onto their side immediately
- Walk them slowly to a flat surface
Correct answer: Keep them still and immobilized until professional help arrives
Moving a person with a potential spinal injury can worsen the injury; keep them still and wait for trained rescuers.
Question 6: What does the acronym STOP stand for in a boating emergency?
- Stop, Think, Observe, Plan (Correct answer)
- Signal, Transmit, Orient, Position
- Secure, Transfer, Operate, Prepare
- Stay, Talk, Order, Proceed
Correct answer: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan
STOP reminds boaters to pause and think clearly before acting in a crisis situation.
Question 7: When must you file a boating accident report with authorities in the US?
- When a person dies, disappears, is injured requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, or property damage exceeds $2,000 (Correct answer)
- Only when a person dies
- Only when another vessel is involved
- When property damage exceeds $500
Correct answer: When a person dies, disappears, is injured requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, or property damage exceeds $2,000
Federal regulations require accident reports under specific thresholds for death, injury, disappearance, or significant property damage.
PCOC Emergency Response Protocols 2
A passenger falls overboard in cold water.
What is the FIRST action you should take?