Welcome to the Firefly Rangers
We are excited to have you join us! This page is an overview of what you should know as a Firefly Rangers. It links to more detailed parts of this wiki.
For a thorough walk through of Ranger training materials, start at Policies and Procedures Overview and follow links at the bottom of each page. If you are short on time or attention span, just read this page you are on.
Who are the Firefly Rangers
TL/DR: Rangers are friendly, resource-connected volunteers who work with other Fireflies to help the event run smoothly.
Rangers are sober, friendly, radio-equipped Fireflies who collaborate with participants and other volunteers to address personal and community concerns over the course of the event. We help other Fireflies by connecting them with community resources, or just being a listening ear. We encourage self-reliance, individual accountability, and shared responsibility among Fireflies; we work to uphold the principles of our community.
Rangers are trained to know how and when to deescalate a tense situation (using skills such as awareness, listening, and non-confrontational communication), and how and when to escalate responses to situations (for example, how to call for medical help). Most of the time, Rangers simply "do nothing", just participate in the event, and act as the community's eyes and ears.
Rangers keep an eye on safety: we have an obligation to report severe injuries and non-consensual harm; we make ourselves easy to find and available to call for help; but we default to not intervening unless necessary. Rangers balance addressing fellow Fireflies’ concerns with not getting in the way of participants’ experiences. Rangers stay sober and practice self-care so that we are best able to respond to situations appropriately.
Rangers have no authority beyond that of any other participant. We build social capital (the community's good will / trust) for the whole Ranger organization through positive, respectful, experiences with participants & other volunteers, and by acting as a reliable conduit for information & resources. We avoid spending our social capital unnecessarily, and only do so in support of the Firefly community.
Who can become a Firefly Ranger
Anyone with decent people skills can become an excellent Ranger. That said, this is a great volunteer opportunity for participants who have been to Firefly before or have served as Rangers at other Burner events. Potential Firefly rangers are expected to come in with a minimum of a good, experiential understanding of burner culture, and an understanding of the layout of Firefly or willingness to learn it before your first shift. We do make occasional exceptions based on other experience, so if you have any questions email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
How to Volunteer to Ranger at Firefly
Each year, we ask volunteers to fill out our Ranger survey, then they can sign up for shifts. All Rangers are asked to attend a training. Trainings are either in-person (recommended if you can, especially if you are new to Rangering) or virtual (zoom). We also have a mailing list (Firefly Ranger allcom.). For more info & links, see Get Involved.
Ranger Roles at Firefly
If you are new to Rangering, your first Ranger shift will be as an alpha (trainee) and you will walk around with a mentor (more experienced ranger). After your first shift, you can do dirt shifts, or stay at HQ as Echelon to help answer walk-up questions and keep things tidy. Khaki is the shift supervisor, usually staying at HQ, who guides rangers on shift, monitors the radio, and helps dispatch help where needed. KIT (Khaki-in-training) is a learning shift where you work with an experienced Khaki.
Preparing for your Shift
Before Firefly: Attend training. Pick a unique, radio-friendly "handle" (Ranger / Burner name.) Sign up for shifts.
Be prepared to walk around in any weather on any terrain for several hours. Bring a notebook to takes notes.
Get your t-shirt and lam (laminate) from Ranger HQ on your first shift, and bring these to all future shifts.
On your Shift
Ranger shifts are 4 hours. At the beginning of your shift, go to Ranger HQ and check in with Khaki. You'll pair up and wander around the event, usually just in a general direction, sometimes with something specific to check out; we try to have rangers check on all areas of the event periodically.
Most Ranger shifts are fairly quiet, and you can spend time hanging out at a camp or event, or check out art for a bit. Often you'll answer questions from participants. Occasionally Rangers will go around telling participants about bad weather incoming, pass on other important info, or check the trails to report problems. Occasionally rangers will help those in distress or in conflict with other participants, using ranger skills such as listening, and sometimes helping finding additional help from campmates or other community resources. You have your fellow Rangers as support, and you can always call Khaki for guidance.
After your Shift
Do not wear your t-shirt or lam off-shift.
Avoid gossiping (always respect confidentiality), but do get support if needed.
Rangerly & Unrangerly Behavior
Rangers have no authority beyond that of any participant. We can only use our social capital--the good will that has been built up over years--to try to influence positive behavior. Any behavior on shift, or while in costume, that can be harmful to those in the community--for example, violence, breaking confidentiality, intoxication, failure to disclose conflicts of interest--can result in disciplinary action.
Ranger Skills
Ranger skills are useful in real life; learning about and practicing these skills can be immensely valuable for you beyond Firefly.
In training, you will learn more about these skills. All of these are discussed in the Basic Skills section of this wiki (you can click the next section at the bottom of each page).
FLAME: Find Out, Listen, Analyze, Mediate, Explain
Find Out (Approaching the Situation, includes "Do Nothing", Situational Awareness, & Self-Awareness)
Communication (Including Listening & De-escalation)
Mediation (Including Trigger Issues & Kick it Sideways)
Radio Use
When making a call: THINK--LISTEN--PUSH--PAUSE--TALK
Use the formula "Khaki, Khaki, this is Ranger A. I need X at Y for Z."
What not to say/do:
- Do not bring your radio in the portapotty
- Do not use profanity
- Do not use participant names (respect confidentiality)
- Do not say dead or dying (instead say not breathing, not responsive)
- Do not make references to drugs or name any substances (you can say “disoriented”)
Anyone can be listening on the radio, we need to follow FCC guidelines, and we need to avoid liability.
Other Firefly Cores you should know about
First Aid Resources: For minor first aid issues, we can direct participants to self-service first aid supplies located near Ranger HQ, or Khaki can request the help of a First Aid Volunteer. "Medical" is experienced, contracted EMTs (NorthBeast) located near Ranger HQ. If there is a medical emergency, radio khaki: "Khaki, Khaki, I need Medical at [location] for [description of injury; if severely unconscious or bleeding, include that detail.]"
OOD (Officer of the Day) helps coordinate responses to incidents or issues that are beyond the scope of Rangers. Many but not all are experienced Rangers who take on different set of responsibilities.
Sanctuary is a place where distressed participants can go for a quiet space and a listening ear. Sanctuary is a limited resource; contact Khaki if you think a participant might benefit from Sanctuary.
Situation Specific Procedures
Call Khaki for emergencies:
Also call Khaki for non-emergencies:
- Found Child (not an emergency)
- Unattended Fire
- Non-consensual Harm (if possible, have a face-to-face with khaki)
- Distressed or Disoriented participant (if possible, have a face-to-face with khaki)
Avoid sharing identifying information over the radio (lost child is an exception.)
Keep in touch!
Questions? Email rangers@fireflyartscollective.
See Keep in touch for links to ranger allcom email list & Facebook group. Please keep an eye out for announcements!
For more about Firefly, see https://www.fireflyartscollective.org/.