What action should you take when hearing three short blasts on the ship's whistle and the general alarm?

• A. Dismissal from fire and emergency stations.
• B. Proceed to muster station.
• C. Ignore and continue the drill.
• D. Sound the general alarm.

Answer: (A)

The signal tests your understanding of how crew movements are managed during drills and emergencies. When the general alarm is sounding, everyone is alerted to an emergency and should respond by going to their assigned emergency posts. The addition of three short blasts on the whistle, in this context, is the specific cue to dismiss people from their fire and emergency stations and return to normal duties. It marks the end of the drill or the protective action and tells you you may leave your emergency post.

So, after hearing that combination, you should leave your fire and emergency post, secure equipment as needed, and resume your regular duties. This isn’t the time to go to the muster station or to ignore the signal, nor is it appropriate to raise the alarm again.