Sec. 80.1111  Distress alerting.

    (a) The transmission of a distress alert indicates that a mobile 
unit or person is in distress and requires immediate assistance. The 
distress alert is a digital selective call using a distress call format 
in bands used for terrestrial radiocommunication or a distress message 
format, which is relayed through space stations.
    (b) The distress alert must be sent through a satellite either with 
absolute priority in general communication channels or on exclusive 
distress and safety frequencies or, alternatively, on the distress and 
safety frequencies in the MF, HF, and VHF bands using digital selective 
calling.
    (c) The distress alert must be sent only on the authority of the 
person responsible for the ship, aircraft or other vehicle carrying the 
mobile station or the mobile earth station.
    (d) All stations which receive a distress alert transmitted by 
digital selective calling must immediately cease any transmission 
capable of interfering with distress traffic and must continue watch 
until the call has been acknowledged.