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During a real emergency there’s no time to translate phrases in your head. Emergency and safety English has to come out automatically — just like a well-drilled response to the alarm schedule. Let’s go through the key commands and phrases every sailor should understand and be able to say.
Why it’s critical
On a multinational crew, English is the only language everyone shares in an emergency. A delay of a few seconds caused by a misunderstood command can be costly. That’s why emergency vocabulary is drilled during STCW training and is often tested separately from general English at interviews.
General alarm and signals
- General alarm — seven short blasts followed by one long blast
- Muster station — the point where the crew gathers when the alarm sounds
- Roll call — checking everyone is present against the crew list
- Drill — a scheduled practice alarm, as opposed to an actual emergency
Fire alarm commands
When “Fire, fire, fire” is announced, you need to quickly grasp the location and nature of the fire.
- “Fire in the engine room” — the fire is in the engine room
- “Close all fire doors and dampers” — seal off the compartment
- “Muster the fire team” — assemble the firefighting party
- “Fire under control” / “Fire out” — the fire is contained / extinguished
Abandoning ship
The command “Abandon ship” is given only as a last resort, and every word in the sequence that follows matters.
- Lifeboat / liferaft — the two main types of survival craft
- Lower the boat — launch the lifeboat
- Painter line — the rope used to keep the boat attached to the ship
- Immersion suit — the survival suit worn in cold water
Man overboard
The shout “Man overboard, [port/starboard] side!” triggers a clear sequence: throw a lifebuoy, keep the person in sight, report to the bridge, and call out the Williamson turn manoeuvre.
Emergency radio communication
There are three distinct urgency levels on VHF/UHF, and you need to tell them apart without hesitation:
- Mayday — grave and imminent danger to life, immediate assistance required
- Pan-Pan — an urgent message with no immediate threat to life
- Securite — a message concerning the safety of navigation
How to prepare
- Say the emergency commands out loud, not just read them — muscle memory for speech matters as much as vocabulary.
- Study your ship’s SOLAS posters and muster list in English, not only in translation.
- Practise short reports using a standard structure: what happened, where, what action was taken.
- Be ready for interview questions specifically on emergency vocabulary — it’s a common topic at V.Ships, Anglo-Eastern, and other companies.
Conclusion
Emergency English isn’t about grammar — it’s about reaction speed. At Sea Service, we drill these commands until they become automatic, so that in a real situation a sailor acts instead of translating.