Enclosure (4) to COMDTINST 3140.3D
13 JAN 1988
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RADIO DISSEMINATION PROGRAM
1.
Weather information supplied by the National Weather Service (NWS) shall be included in the
Weather and Marine Information Broadcasts from Coast Guard stations on frequencies designated
by the Commandant for this purpose. Warnings affecting small boats shall be given the widest
dissemination and need not be confined to those stations designated to make regular broadcasts.
The district commander is authorized to take such additional action as deemed necessary to ensure
widest dissemination of information during severe weather conditions, particularly by designating
additional broadcasts on VHF-FM, which has a limited range. Weather forecasts and advisories
included in the broadcasts shall be limited to official information furnished by the Weather Service
and shall identify the source (i.e., NWS) of the information.
2.
Locally observed weather conditions, or conditions reported to the Coast Guard from external
sources, which present a hazard to marine traffic should be broadcast at unscheduled times by a
means commensurate with the area of the hazard. For example, the sighting of a water spout in
coastal waters would necessitate a VHF-FM broadcast similar to this: "At 1800 local, a water spout
was reported to the Coast Guard approximately 20 miles east of the New Smyrna Beach, Florida."
3.
Stations authorized to initiate small craft visual warning displays based upon locally observed
weather shall also make unscheduled radio transmissions by broadcasting alerts on 2182 KHz and
156.8 MHz (CH-16), and then shifting to 2670 KHz and 157.1 MHz (CH-22), at such times as they
initiate small craft advisories. The transmission shall state that small craft displays are in effect for
the local area based upon observed weather conditions. Wind and sea conditions observed shall be
included in the transmission.
4.
The Coast Guard and National Weather Service have agreed that all weather and warning messages
originated by the NWS for further dissemination by the Coast Guard shall contain brief instructions
as to the action desired. These instructions shall be incorporated in the heading by the originating
NWS office. Arrangements for obtaining the weather information to be broadcast shall be made
locally between the district commander and the cognizant NWS Region.
5.
All information disseminated by radiotelephone, radiotelegraph, radioteletype, or facsimile shall be
broadcast in accordance with the requirements of the Coast Guard Telecommunications Manual
COMDTINST M2000.3A and additional local instructions promulgated by the district commander.
6.
District commanders shall encourage an increased number of regularly scheduled broadcasts of
marine weather by commercial broadcast stations wherever possible.
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