Cellular Telephone Service

Dial *16 for Marine Emergency Service

The Canadian Coast Guard, in cooperation with the cellular carriers, provides a marine emergency service for cellular telephone subscribers.

Coverage

This service is currently available in areas of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway having cellular coverage.

Contacting the Coast Guard

Use of a marine radio is the most efficient method of alerting the Coast Guard and other boaters to an emergency situation. Operators of vessels not equipped with a marine radio can use the *16 service to contact the nearest Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) Centre easily in an emergency. Keying *16 on your Bell Cellular, Cantel or Thunder Bay Cellular telephone, connects you directly to the officer on duty at the MCTS Centre, who will arrange assistance for you.

Uses for *16

The use of *16 is normally restricted to obtaining assistance or relaying information relating to Distress and Urgency situations.

Distress

When using *16 to report a distress situation, the following information should be provided, when available:

• the location of the vessel,
• your cellular phone number,
• the nature of the emergency,
• the name or identification of the vessel,
• the number of persons on board,
• a description of the vessel,
• the type of assistance required,
• the weather conditions at your location.

The MCTS officer will seek assistance from vessels near your location and forward the information to Search and Rescue authorities.

Charges

The *16 service is free to the cellular subscriber (no air-time or long distance charges).

Contacting the Coast Guard by Cellular Telephone for Other Needs

Other calls requesting information or other services provided by the Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre should be made to the MCTS Centre's general telephone number as follows:

Thunder Bay - (807) 345-5190

Sarnia - (519) 336-4003

Prescott - (613) 925-4471