The radiotelephony message PAN-PAN is the international standard distress signal that someone aboard a boat, ship, aircraft, or other vehicle uses to declare that they need help and that the situation is urgent, but for the time being, does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself. This is referred to as a state of "urgency". This is distinct from a mayday call, which means that there is imminent danger to life or to the continued viability of the vessel itself. Radioing "pan-pan" informs potential rescuers (including emergency services and other craft in the area) that an urgent problem exists, whereas "mayday" calls on them to drop all other activities and immediately begin a rescue. The Morse code signal "XXX" ( ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ), which has the same meaning that "pan-pan" does in radiotelephony, was first defined by the International Radiotelegraph Convention of 1927.
Etymology
As with "mayday" (from venez m'aider, "come help me"), the urgency signal pan-pan derives from the French language. In French, a panne [pan] is a breakdown, such as a mechanical failure. In English, it is sometimes pronounced as PAHN and sometimes as PAN. A three-letter backronym, "possible assistance needed" or "pay attention now", derives from pan. Maritime and aeronautical radio communications courses use those as mnemonics to convey the important difference between mayday and pan-pan.
Usage To declare pan-pan correctly, the caller repeats it three times: "Pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan", then states the intended recipient, either "all stations, all stations, all stations", or a specific station, e.g. "Victoria Coast Guard Radio, Victoria Coast Guard Radio, Victoria Coast Guard Radio". Then the caller states their craft's identification, position, nature of the problem, and the type of assistance or advice they require, if any.
Medical transports The phrase "PAN-PAN MEDICAL" is reserved for medical transports. It is used to announce and identify medical transports.
Medical advice One special case of "pan-pan" is to ask for medical advice. This is a normal "pan-pan" call that includes a phrase such as "request medical advice" and the craft identification, position, and nature of the medical problem. It should not be confused with the term "PAN-PAN MEDICAL" which is reserved for medical transports. This type of call is specifically for getting a physician's advice for a medical problem that does not, in the opinion of the skipper or master of the vessel, seem life-threatening. The phrase "pan-pan medico" appears in some older reference books, but is not a correct usage. Once patched through, a physician or other medical expert on land or in another vessel typically asks the radio operator to detail the symptoms and history of the condition, and provide any available patient medical history. The physician typically recommends first aid treatment and gives other advice based on what resources are available on board. In some cases, the medical issue may be urgent enough to escalate the pan-pan to a mayday call for immediate intervention by rescuers, if possible.
Nautical uses Examples of the correct use of a "pan-pan" call from a boat or ship may include the following cases, provided the skipper or master remains confident they can handle the situation, and that there is no current danger to the life of any person or to the safety of the vessel. Once the urgent situation that led to the pan-pan broadcast is resolved or contended with, conventional practice is for the station that initiated the pan-pan call to make a followup broadcast to all stations, declaring that the urgent situation no longer exists. A call that originates as a "pan-pan" signal might be followed by a mayday distress signal if the situation deteriorates to the point of "grave and imminent danger", thus warranting immediate action (intervention, assistance, response) on the part of listeners in accordance with standard operating practices for distress signaling.
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