Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It may derive from the French expression "venez m'aider", meaning "come help me", the last two syllables of which sound similar to "Mayday". Alternatively, it may have been coined randomly, making the similarity to "m'aidez" coincidental It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by mariners and aviators, but in some countries local organizations such as police forces, firefighters, and transportation organizations also use the term. The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent mistaking it for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual Mayday call from a message about a Mayday call.