VTS Safety Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A vessel informs VTS that it has a fire in the engine room but the crew believes it is under control. What should the VTS operator do?
- Accept the crew's assessment and take no further action
- Continue monitoring, advise the vessel of nearby assistance, and alert fire response resources as a precaution (Correct answer)
- Immediately order the vessel to abandon ship
- Restrict all vessel movements in the entire port for 24 hours
Correct answer: Continue monitoring, advise the vessel of nearby assistance, and alert fire response resources as a precaution
Even when a crew reports a fire as controlled, precautionary alerting of fire and emergency services and close monitoring is required.
Question 2: Which radio channel is the international distress, safety, and calling channel for VHF maritime communications?
- Channel 16 (Correct answer)
- Channel 22A
- Channel 67
- Channel 13
Correct answer: Channel 16
VHF Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) is the international distress, safety, and calling frequency required to be monitored by all vessels.
Question 3: What is 'traffic separation' as managed by a VTS operator?
- Assigning different radio channels to inbound and outbound vessels
- Organizing vessel traffic into designated lanes to reduce the risk of head-on encounters (Correct answer)
- Physically blocking vessels with patrol boats
- Scheduling vessel departures 24 hours in advance
Correct answer: Organizing vessel traffic into designated lanes to reduce the risk of head-on encounters
Traffic separation schemes divide vessel traffic into inbound and outbound lanes to minimize head-on collision risk in congested or confined waters.
Question 4: A VTS operator notices on radar that a vessel is deviating significantly from the established traffic lane without communication. What is the correct response?
- Wait to see if the vessel corrects course on its own
- Immediately call the vessel on VHF to determine the reason and provide traffic information (Correct answer)
- Alert the Coast Guard and take no direct action
- Log the deviation only and report at end of shift
Correct answer: Immediately call the vessel on VHF to determine the reason and provide traffic information
Contacting the vessel immediately determines if there is an emergency and allows the operator to provide traffic information or assistance.
Question 5: Under what condition should a VTS operator escalate a situation to an URGENCY (PAN-PAN) call?
- When a vessel is more than 30 minutes overdue at its berth
- When there is a serious but not immediately life-threatening situation requiring assistance (Correct answer)
- When weather deteriorates below VFR minimums
- When AIS data for a vessel is missing for more than 10 minutes
Correct answer: When there is a serious but not immediately life-threatening situation requiring assistance
PAN-PAN is used when a vessel or person is in urgent need of assistance but the situation is not yet an immediate threat to life.
Question 6: In the context of VTS safety procedures, what is a 'vessel traffic image' (VTI)?
- A photograph of a vessel taken at port entry
- A compiled picture of all vessel movements and positions in a VTS area at a given time (Correct answer)
- A video feed from a waterway surveillance camera
- An AIS screenshot archived for legal purposes
Correct answer: A compiled picture of all vessel movements and positions in a VTS area at a given time
The vessel traffic image is the operator's synthesized situational picture combining radar, AIS, and voice reports to track all vessels in the service area.
Question 7: What action should a VTS operator take when a vessel's EPIRB signal is detected in the service area?
- Treat it as a routine equipment test unless confirmed otherwise
- Treat it as a real distress, immediately notify the Coast Guard RCC, and attempt to contact the vessel (Correct answer)
- Only respond if weather conditions are severe
- Alert the vessel's agent and await instructions
Correct answer: Treat it as a real distress, immediately notify the Coast Guard RCC, and attempt to contact the vessel
EPIRB activations must be treated as real distress events and immediately reported to the Rescue Coordination Center until proven otherwise.
VTS Safety Procedures 4
A vessel informs VTS that it has a fire in the engine room but the crew believes it is under control.
What should the VTS operator do?