46 CFR 169.815
§ 169.815 Emergency signals.
United States · 46 CFR — Shipping · Status: effective
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- Citation
- 46 CFR 169.815, § 169.815 Emergency signals, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/230304
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Full text
(a) The station bill must set forth the various signals used for calling the ship's company to their stations and for giving instructions while at their stations.
(b) On vessels of 100 gross tons and over the following signals must be used.
(1) The first alarm signal must be a continuous blast of the vessel's whistle for a period of not less than 10 seconds supplemented by the continuous ringing of the general alarm bells for not less than 10 seconds.
(2) For dismissal from fire alarm stations, the general alarm must be sounded three times supplemented by three short blasts of the vessel's whistle.
(3) The signal for boat stations or boat drill must be a succession of more than six short blasts, followed by one long blast, of the vessel's whistle supplemented by a comparable signal on the general alarm bells.
(4) For dismissal from boat stations, there must be three short blasts of the whistle.
(c) Where whistle signals are used for handling the lifeboats, they must be as follows:
(1) To lower lifeboats, one short blast.
(2) To stop lowering the lifeboats, two short blasts.
Legislative history
This is a federal regulation, adopted through agency rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act — not enacted by a recorded vote of Congress.