The 2010 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC) -- supported by the ARRL, the IARU and all three IARU Regions -- is scheduled for October 11-12 in Curacao, one of five island territories of the Netherlands Antilles. With its theme of Learning through Practicing, this year’s conference is an opportunity for emergency communicators to discuss recent events, technical solutions to problems and how to find cooperation with professional partners. One of the highlights of the 2010 conference will be an actual EmComm exercise during the conference, exploring how information sharing across borders can be improved.

According to the agenda, GAREC’s opening ceremony on Monday, October 11 will feature a representative of the Curacao government, as well as ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré, HB9EHT, and IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T.

After the opening events, Region 1 representative Greg Mossop, G0DUB, along with Region 2 representative ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Mike Corey, W5MPC, and Region 3 representative Jay Oka, JA1TRC, will give activity reports from their respective regions.

Jean-Robert Gaillard, HH2JR, will present “Earthquakes and Amateur Radio: Haiti.” The conferees will also hear from veteran Region 2 EmComm expert Arnaldo Coro Antich, CO2KK. Dr Cosmas Zavazava, (ITU-D) will present a program on “ITU-IARU Cooperation” that will be chaired by GAREC 2010 coordinator Dr Seppo Sisättö, OH1VR. To finish out the day, Mossop will conduct a tabletop exercise.

On Tuesday, October 12, Zavazava, Corey and Joop Verdoes, PA1JOV, will be part of a panel discussion on “Forwarding Received EmComm Messages”; this discussion will be chaired by Blondeel Timmerman. Sisättö will lead “Your Technical Solution for EmComm,” using examples from multiple organizations.

Corey will present “How to Organize an EmComm Exercise” that will include examples from Finland, the Netherlands and South Africa. Closing out the day, an open discussion on “The Future Role of the Amateur Radio Service in EmComm” will be an open discussion for all conference participants.

According to Sisättö, GAREC’s mission is two-fold: To help Amateur Radio operators be better prepared for emergency communications and to create emergency communications exercises at both the national and international levels. Exchanging information and experiences among all Amateur Radio operators and groups that are interested in emergency communications helps to promote GAREC’s vision of having regular worldwide cooperation and understanding between governments and the Amateur Radio Service in the field of emergency communications. GAREC 2010 is organized in cooperation with the Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service (DARES) and Club for Experimental Radio Examination Netherland Antilles (VERONA). Click here for the registration form.