Ten years after its inaugural session in Tampere, Finland, the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference (GAREC) will return to that city on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23-24. The theme of the international event will be, “Cooperating with Authorities.” GAREC 2015 has extended an invitation to all involved in emergency communication around the world.

Hosting GAREC 2015 will be the Finnish Amateur Radio League (SARL). Finland’s national emergency communications society, Suomen Radioturva (SRT), will organize the event. Program Committee Chairman Seppo Sisättö, OH1VR, will review the development of the GARECs from 2005 to 2015. He also will chair a session laying out an emergency communication scenario.

IARU Regional 1 Emergency Communications Coordinator Greg Mossop, G0DUB, is scheduled to moderate two panel discussions — “Cooperating with Authorities — What have we done?” and “Cooperating with Authorities — What should we do?”

Juha Hartikka, OH7HJ, will introduce a forum on “The Tools for Amateur Radio EmComms” and a “Long-Range Provincial EmComm Repeater.”

Representatives from all three IARU regions will deliver reports during a session chaired by SRT President Jyri Putkonen, OH7JP. Other GAREC 2015 moderators include SRAL President Merja Koivaara, OH1EG.

A preliminary GAREC 2015 program and more information are available on the GAREC 2015 website. — Thanks to IARU Region 1