Grassroots Emergency Communications Operations

GECO: What We Do, Who We Are

What We Do: Welcome to the GECO site.  We help and support amateur radio operators (aka HAMs) in remote rural and marginalized communities.  They often have no opportunity for emergency communications (EmComm) and emergency preparedness (EmPrep) training.  Many are not members of any official emergency groups.  GECO actively collaborates with Applied Geography for Sustainable Living, GLS LLC, and the Wanderers Amateur Radio Club to develop EmComm and EmPrep lessons and training materials.

It is a long-standing amateur radio tradition for operators to help in emergencies.  GECO provides amateur radio operators with minimalist emergency communications (EmComm) training.  GECO methods and materials are no-cost / low cost and robust.  It’s suitable for impoverished villagers in high-risk areas.

We also provide materials and training for MEWS (Mobile Emergency Weather Service).  When disasters hit remote areas, helicopters are the first outside help to arrive.  An amateur radio operator trained in MEWS can report weather conditions FROM the disaster area.  This can improve helicopter flight safety.  Weather data is also used for relief planning.  A MEWS-trained amateur radio operator has value added to their role as an EmComm radio operator.

GECO advocates that people prepare for their own rescue.  Just because a remote village is on a map doesn't mean emergency relief workers can find it or get there.  Disaster relief may involve emergency relief personnel unfamiliar with your locale.  GECO uses applied geography to help local villagers prepare for their own rescue.  Villagers can give this reference information to local, regional, and national emergency agencies. Proactive disaster survivors are more resilient.  They are less likely to suffer anxiety and depression after a disaster.

Our audience is remote rural villagers and marginalized communities.  So, we keep things no-cost / low cost, no-tech / low-tech as much as possible.  We use things off-the-shelf and locally available materials (including recyclables) to make as much of the necessary equipment.  We use appropriate/adaptive technology approaches.

Who We Are: GECO is an all-volunteer, informal, people-to-people, community-based educational organization.  We work on mutual respect, mutual benefit.  No one is paid.  It is too easy to spend other people's money.  We are very frugal.  Costs are met out of our members' pockets matched to local community resources.  We are not a registered non-profit.  That takes time, effort, and money away from our main work.  Instead, join this website.  We are available for consulting on a cost-recovery basis. We collaborate with Applied Geography for Sustainable Living (AppGeog) using their community-based edcucation methods to help improve rural education and build community resilence and sustainability.

Want to Help? If you want to support our efforts, you are welcome to join us.  Roll up your sleeves, put on your thinking caps, and act.  We need help in proofreading, beta testing lessons, and translating completed lessons.  When the need arises, we need volunteers willing to help train other amateur radio operators and community members in their local area or online. Help us to make the world a better place.  Donations are considered but not actively solicited.

Contact us at gecoradio at GMAIL.COM

We thank Neighborhood Link for this free site.  We encourage other community organizations to consider getting and using a free Neighborhood Link website when serving their communities.  FFI: http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/setup/overview.h

Last updated: 2023 June