F.L.A.M.E

What is F.L.A.M.E.?

F.L.A.M.E. is a useful acronym to help you remember the most basic and essential way Rangers approach and mediate an encountered problem.

FIND OUT about the situation.

LISTEN to all parties and sides.

ANALYZE the information using your understanding of the situation.

MEDIATE and help facilitate the parties reaching their own joint solution.

EXPLAIN the outcome to everyone.

Find Out

First, stand back, and observe. Be aware of safety issues - both your own and the participant’s. If there is a safety issue where you feel that you, your partner, or participants are in danger, call Khaki immediately. When you have determined that it is safe to approach and that you are needed, find out the facts. What is the primary complaint? Who is involved? When did the conflict start/incident occur? Where did it happen?

There will always be at least three sides: the sides of the individuals involved directly in conflict (which may be two or more) and an impartial third perspective, when you can find it.

Add this to the perspective you bring to the situation, which encompasses your experience, the general opinion of all the participants, and the ideology of the Firefly Arts Collective.

Listen

Listen to all parties: ensure that all stakeholders have had a chance to be heard and give their input. Be aware that, at times, you may have to use your judgment as to who is really involved. Concentrate on the parties who need your direct assistance and make time for everyone who has legitimate input.

Listening is a powerful tool, not only for getting information and de-escalating conflicts but also for establishing a general rapport and social capital with your fellow Fireflies.

Analyze

Once you have gathered all the information that you can, analyze it with your partner. Take all of the facts that you gathered during the F and L parts of the process and consider your understanding of the expectations of the Firefly community, the policies of the Ranger department, and the ideology and policies of the Firefly Arts Collective.

Active deliberation and use of your best judgment is required at this stage in the process and is fully backed by the Ranger organization. You are an integral part of our team: we have faith in ourselves and in you. This is at the core of Rangering.

Mediate

Your primary role when you mediate is to make suggestions as a neutral third party. Mediation allows the participants involved to arrive at the best way to resolve their situation. Determine which participants involved may have room to budge and those whose interests are such that they cannot or will not give in. This is often not based on right and wrong.

Work with all parties involved until an outcome is reached that seems to function well. Whenever possible, facilitate the parties reaching their own joint solution. People are much more likely to stick to a solution when they feel ownership of the process and that the resolution came from them rather than from an authority figure telling them what to do.

Explain

E is the explanation, and completes your “flaming” of the situation. Explain the outcome of the mediation process to everyone involved, ensuring that all parties have come to a consensus that they can live with (...or at least live with for a week).

This is not always the end. During the Firefly event, while things change constantly, the explanations you give will be repeated and re-requested not only by the parties involved, but by other participants as well. You will often be asked by neighbors to explain the outcome - later that day, that evening, the next morning, even months after the event has ended. Do this while respecting the privacy of the individuals involved in any given situation. It is important to take notes in your Ranger notebook throughout any mediation process so that you can accurately recall and explain a situation after the fact.

Notify Khaki of the what/where/when/how of conflicts and their outcomes during or immediately after your shift. You can drop written reports off at HQ at the end of your shift.

Always be sure to find out first. New information and new perspectives can often send you back to find out more, listen to new stakeholders, or analyze facts that you didn’t have when you began flame-ing the situation.

Note that F.L.A.M.E. is not always a linear process. You may especially have to repeat F, L and A quite a lot!

F.L.A.M.E. In Action

Find Out: Approaching the Situation

First, "Do Nothing"

The first thing most Rangers will do when they encounter a situation that might need Rangering is … NOTHING. Of course, they're not actually doing nothing – they're forming their initial impressions about the situation – but they're not actively interfering; it only looks like they're doing nothing.

Many situations resolve on their own and we never have to "do" anything. We call these situations "self-Rangering.”

Your Reason for Approaching the Situation

And then there are the times when Rangers need to approach participants. The basic skill of Rangering starts with how we approach participants and what our reason is for approaching them. Are we informing them of something such as Bacon at a nearby camp? Are we pointing out danger? Are we offering to be a neutral party to help?

Find Out: Safety!

As you approach a situation remember the Find Out step in FLAME. How safe is the scene? Make sure you take a look at the immediate area around the situation and then at the larger area around that. Maintain situational awareness (participants safety, partners safety, hazards in the area) and/or try to not lose sight of your partner. Questions to ask regarding scene safety include:

• Is the scene safe for you and your partner to approach?
• Is there any danger to the participants?
• Is there fire?
• Is there violence?
• Is there an animal, slip, trip, or fall hazard?
• Is your partner safe?

Find Out: Watch for Body Language

As you approach a scene be aware of your body language as well as that of those around you. What is the body language of the participants telling you?

Self-Awareness: Body Language & Mindset

What is your body language going to tell them? This will be the first thing participants see. Your body language should communicate an openness to listen and also be nonthreatening. For more detail, see effective techniques for de-escalating with body language.

Related to body language is our mindset: Your point of view can affect how you approach the scene and how you’re first presented to participants. Have you checked your preconceived notions at the door? (Or at least made the attempt?) Are you going in open minded? Be aware of your own biases and the “way you think things are.”

Introduce Yourself

Remember to introduce yourself early on when you approach participants. It doesn’t have to be the very first thing you say, however participants should know who you are before you get too involved in a situation.