What are the standard VHF distress calls and their meanings?

• A. Mayday (grave emergency), Pan-Pan (urgent situation), and Securité (safety information)
• B. Help (emergency), Warning (danger), Attention (caution)
• C. Distress (low battery), Alert (medical), Safety (routine)
• D. Fire (flames), Collision (hazard), All Clear (resolved)

Answer: (A)

The standard VHF radiotelephony calls cover three levels of urgency: Mayday, Pan-Pan, and Securité. Mayday is used for grave emergencies where there is imminent danger and you need immediate assistance, so it signals the most urgent need for rescue or help. Pan-Pan indicates an urgent situation that requires attention but does not pose an immediate life‑threat to those on board, signaling that help is useful but not as critical as a Mayday. Securité is used to broadcast safety information to all stations, such as warnings about weather, navigation hazards, or other important safety news that mariners should know to avoid risk.

Together, these three terms form the recognized set for distress, urgency, and safety communications on VHF. Other phrases like Help, Warning, Attention, or generic terms such as Distress, Alert, Safety, or Fire and Collision do not carry the official, internationally standardized meanings used in maritime radio communications, and they don’t signal the same clear levels of urgency or safety information.