The Awareness Stage is driven by distress-related signals, including which of the following?

• A. Broadcasts from distressed craft
• B. Reports of emergency beacon activation
• C. Both of the above
• D. Neither

Answer: (C)

In the Awareness Stage, what prompts responders to start actively looking for an incident are distress-related signals from the scene. Distress signals come in two main forms: broadcasts from the distressed craft, such as a Mayday call over radio, and reports that an emergency beacon has been activated (like an EPIRB or ELT). Each type provides critical information: the broadcasts give a human-initiated plea for help with a possible location, while beacons transmit a rapid, automatic signal that includes identification and location data that can be picked up even if no one on board can communicate. Because one channel can miss or fail, having both types of signals ensures quicker and more reliable awareness of an incident. That’s why the best answer is that both types of distress signals drive the Awareness Stage.