The organisers of the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference (GAREC) 2015 have taken the difficult decision to cancel this years conference.

The projected attendance for the conference which was to have been held in Tampere, Finland between June 23 – 24 was below last year’s and so was not adequate to justify the participation of external speakers and presented a financial risk to the organisers.

Rather than take a chance that attendance will increase substantially leading up to the Conference, a difficult decision has been made to cancel. All registered participants will be contacted by the organisers shortly.

Cancellation of the conference is a loss to the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications community and thoughts are now turning to how to continue with what was started 10 years ago and maintain the good working relationships which have been developed, as well as providing a place for those positive achievements to be promoted.

Category 5 Cyclone Pam caused severe damage when it hit the Pacific nation of Vanuatu last weekend. Recovery is expected to take a very long time.

The idyllic location is a haven for tourists and DXpeditioners, with all who had been there struggling to recognise damaged landmarks now being shown on TV news.

Like other countries in the region very few local radio amateurs exist, and no communication has been heard from many islands.

Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale was at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held at Sendai Japan and made an emotional plea for humanitarian assistance.

All of the development made by Vanuatu has been swept up in the widespread devastation that has been deaths, injuries, loss of power and communications, with up to 70% of the population displaced. President Lonsdale has now returned to Vanuatu.

The International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 was on a panel as part of the UN Conference at Tohoku University, organised by the International Telecommunications Union Development (ITU‑D) Sector.

Sendai is a major city in North Eastern Japan in the disaster area of Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

On a panel were representatives from Japan, The Philippines, Uganda, ITU and IARU Region 3, who faced an enthusiastic audience of 30.

The Vice Minister for Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal affairs and Communications, Japan, Yasuo Sakamoto, thanked the international cooperation provided at Great East Japan Earthquake and the disaster use of mobile phones for voice/data communications.

The Deputy Executive Director, Information and Communications Technology Office, Department of Science and Technology, Republic of Philippines, Nicolas D. Ojeda Jr., talked of the experience with Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013.

He mentioned that Amateur Radio was very helpful to maintain the communications between local community and disaster-relief organisations.

IARU Region 3 Secretary, Ken Yamamoto JA1CJP, explained how Amateur Radio can contribute to Disaster Risk Reduction.

He stated that the radio amateurs can bring warning and or rescue requests at the early phase of disaster, that they can provide grassroots communications between evacuation shelters and disaster relief organisations in relief phase.
It is a good resource of trained communications operators.

Ken JA1CJP also referred to the ITU Recommendation, Report and Radio Regulations relevant to Amateur Radio in disaster communications.

The panel moderator opened the floor for questions. Armenia questioned the cooperation framework between radio amateurs and government organisations, and the response time to establish Amateur Radio communication in case of disaster.

Ken JA1CJP responded that the multi-layer agreement between societies or local radio clubs and national relief agencies/local governments, would be beneficial for maximum coordination during a disaster.

In most major disasters electricity is cut, normal communications are overloaded or out of service, while Amateur Radio with its alternative power can provide vital messaging to help the responders and their community.

The outcome at Sendai is another example of the ongoing work being done by the IARU to further emergency communications provided by skilled and trained radio amateurs.

-Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee.

The International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council has released this guide which has been developed to provide of radio amateurs materials so they may train for emergency events.

It also provides individuals who have little or no experience in handling emergency communications, but desire to enhance their ability or to simply better understand the process involved.

IARU Secretary, Rod Stafford W6ROD said member-societies are encouraged to distribute this guide, if necessary, translate it into a language used within their own country.

Topics covered include an introduction to emergency communications, served agency relationships, needed skills and training, how various networks operate, message handling, deployment, equipment, and setting up or shutting down.

This guide can also be used in conjunction with other materials by leaders in the emergency communication community to train radio operators in the basic theory and practice of handling emergency communications traffic.

The 21-chapter IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide can be found at:

http://​www​.iaru​.org/​e​m​e​r​g​e​n​c​y​-​t​e​l​e​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​s​-​g​u​i​d​e​.​h​tml

The IARU International Secretariat welcomes any feedback, comments or suggestions on it that can be sent to the Secretary at w6rod@​iaru.​org

The only international conference on Amateur Radio Emergency Communications will be held in June at Tampere, Finland, with the theme of ‘Cooperating with Authorities’.

Tampere saw the birth of the annual Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference (GAREC) in 2005. This vital conference has returned to that city, with all involved in emergency communications throughout the world being invited.

A prestigious keynote address will be given during the conference that is hosted by the Finnish Amateur Radio League (SARL) and organised by Finland’s national emergency communications society Suomen Radioturva (SRT).

The third largest city in Finland, Tampere has a lively engagement in providing emergency communications through SRT to the authorities.

Program Committee Chairman Dr. Seppo Sisättö OH1VR will review GAREC from 2005 to 2015, along with a non-government emergency relief agency.

The IARU Regional 1 Emergency Communications Coordinator, Greg Mossop G0DUB will chair a very interesting discussion on ‘Cooperating with Authorities — What have we done?’

The ‘Tools for Amateur Radio EmComms’ will be discussed, along with a ‘Long Range Provincial EmComm Repeater’ to be introduced by Juha Hartikka OH7HJ.

Reports are to be delivered from the IARU Regions 1, 2 and 3, in a session chaired by Jyri Putkonen OH7JP the SRT President.

Among the GAREC 2015 moderators are Merja Koivaara OH1EG, SRAL President, and a National Emergency Supply Agency Representative.

GAREC 2015 will be in the Hotel Cumulus, Koskikatu 5, Tampere, Finland on June 23 – 24. Many delegates can also travel to Friedrichshafen, Germany, and enjoy Europe’s largest Hamfest that starts on June 26.

A preliminary GAREC 2015 program, accommodation and registration are available at http://​www​.radioturva​.fi/​g​a​r​e​c​-​2​0​15/ ( Archived from Original )