Get Involved
Thank you for your interest in Rangering this year! We look forward to seeing you at training and rangering together in the woods! If you have any questions, please email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
NOTE: To volunteer for the Firefly Rangers, we ask that you have either attended Firefly a previous year, or that you have extensive experience rangering at other burns.
Ranger Survey
Please fill out the Ranger survey! This will let you know that you are interested. Included is a list of dates when we offer Ranger training (you can also see list below.)
Training Overview
All Firefly Rangers are required to do training every year. We’ve greatly expanded the options for training in recent years, so please be patient!
In preparation for training, please review the materials in this wiki indicated below for your level of experience.
If you have any questions about your level of experience and requirements, email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org
"Full basic training" includes Policy & Procedure, Basic Ranger Skills, and Radio Basics. All off-site Firefly trainings include all of these. These are also covered by Black Rock City Ranger trainings (offered around the country), although we ask you to review our Policy & Procedures since many are Firefly-specific.
Alphas (1st year)
If this is your first year rangering, you will be an “alpha." You will need full basic training (see above).
You must have attended Firefly a previous year, or have rangering experience at another burn (if so, see section on New Experienced Rangers below.) If you have any questions, email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org
Choose a Ranger Handle
If you don’t already have a Ranger Handle, you will need one to be a Ranger! A Ranger Handle is a unique (i.e., no one else using it at Firefly this year), radio-friendly name that has some personal meaning to you. Most are two to three syllables. Please do not use your legal name.
If you would like to change your Ranger handle, please contact the Personnel Team ranger-personnel@fireflyartscollective.org.
Shiny Pennies (2nd Year)
If this is your second year rangering, you are a “shiny penny”. You still need full basic training (see above) but you are invited to also take other trainings such as Echelon, Conflict Resolution, or Mentoring.
Returning Rangers (3rd+ Year)
If you have rangered two or more years, you will need to take P & P. If you haven’t done full training recently, we ask you to take Basic Ranger Skills.
You are also encouraged to take advanced training modules: Intro to Khaki (required for KIT & Khaki), Advanced Khaki I-Leadership Skills, Advanced Khaki II-Problem Solving, Conflict Resolution, Echelon, Mentoring, and ICS trainings.
New Experienced Rangers
We are always happy to have rangers joining us from other burns. Depending on your level of experience, you may be eligible for exceptions to training requirements. If have not been to Firefly before, we ask that you take our Firefly-specific Policy & Procedure, offered at all our trainings (including onsite.) Please contact rangers@fireflyartscollective.org for more information.
Please be aware that there are some differences between Firefly and other burns, particularly Burning man.
- Layout. We expect all our rangers to be able to navigate Firefly effectively. Please take some time when you arrive to familiarize yourself with path names, major camps, and different areas/landmarks (eg, the Field, the Pool). You can also take a look at the map ahead of time.
- We are a much smaller event (about 1000 participants), and as such everything is smaller.
- Our ranger council is much smaller and hands-on that the BRC Ranger council
- Echelon at Firefly is stationary at HQ. See Echelon description.
- We do NOT have law enforcement, EMT, or Firefighters on site at all times.
- We use ICS for emergencies. See ICS section.
- We have a different Early Arrival process, as well as Exodus. If you have questions, please email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
If you have any questions about your level of experience and requirements, email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org
2019 Ranger Training Opportunities
The Ranger survey includes these training dates. You only need to attend one of these. If you have to change your training date or none of these work for you, email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
SFTY3RD, May 2019 in Scarborough, Maine--CANCELED
Info: https://www.fireflyartscollective.org/participate/join-a-core/sfty3rd/
Register here; this weekend includes all possible trainings, including ICS. Highly recommended if you can make it!
MIT Trainings in June
Thursday, June 6, 2019: 6:30-10:30PM
Tuesday, June 11, 2019: 6:30-10:30PM
Black Rock Ranger Trainings
Sign up at http://rangers.burningman.org/training/
The Boston area BRR training date has not yet been announced.
Onsite Training
July 3, 2019: 9:00AM – 12:00PM at Firefly Ranger HQ
We strongly suggest attending one of the pre-event trainings at MIT if you are able to, as onsite training is often shortened and intended for out-of-town rangers. Email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org for more information.
Shift sign up
***UPDATE!!! The shift schedule is a google doc this year. You will receive a link to it after your training date has been confirmed. If not email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org*****
You will need to have taken training OR you must be signed up for training in order to sign up for your shifts. As soon as we have a training date noted we will mark you as “trained” and send you an email about shift sign-up. (Note the button will still say “Requires: Ranger Training 2017”, try it anyway.) If you have any problems signing up for shifts, please email ranger-personnel@lists.fireflyartscollective.org.
ALPHAS ONLY: When you do sign up for shifts, your first shift will be as an “Alpha” ranger, where you walk with a mentor. Subsequent shifts will be regular “dirt” shifts.
Note: any "dirt" shift can be a mentor shift if there are alphas who need mentors, you have rangered at least one year, and you are comfortable mentoring.
See At-Event Ranger Roles for more details on eligibility for particular roles.
Graveyard & Late-in-Event Shifts
If you are able to do any 2am-6am shift, or any shifts from the Bug Burn onwards (Friday night onwards), PLEASE sign up for these shifts! We always have a hard time filling these shifts, and are very grateful to volunteers who take these on. (We also have a special item of swag for rangers who do these shifts.)
Keep In Touch
Any rangers who fill out the survey will be added to the ranger allcom list; you should also receive an invitation to join our Facebook group. Please keep an eye out for announcements!
If you have any questions, please email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
Changes and Highlights for 2019
For returning Rangers, notes about what has changed since last year.
2019 Ranger Council Changes
New Ranger XO, Acting Ranger Lead: Magneto
New Communications Lead: Bubblegum
New Education Team Lead: Botterboosch
New Personnel Co-Leads: Forest & Fermata
See Current Ranger leadership for more about the Ranger council.