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 experience rangering at other burns.
Ranger Volunteer Form
Please fill out the 2024 Ranger Volunteer Form 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 make some changes each year, so please be patient!
In preparation for training, please review the materials in this wiki indicated below for your level of experience.
****TL/DR: Just read Welcome to the Firefly Rangers ****
If you have any questions about your level of experience and requirements, email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org
Trainings in 2024 will be in 3 parts:
1-Intros and Policy & Procedure (P & P) Highlights (Anyone Rangering at Firefly should attend)
2-Basic Ranger training (Policy & Procedure, Basic Skills, Radio)
3-Scenarios
For all trainings, Khaki training will be offered at the same time as Basic Training.
"Full basic training" covers these parts of this wiki / manual: Policy & Procedure, Basic Ranger Skills, and Radio Basics. All Firefly trainings include all of these. Basic Ranger Skills & Radio Basics are also covered by Black Rock City Ranger trainings (offered around the country), although we ask you to review this wiki, including 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@lists.fireflyartscollective.org.
Returning Rangers (2nd Year)
If this is your second year rangering, you are a “shiny penny”. You still need full basic training.
Returning Rangers (3rd+ Year)
If you have rangered two or more years, you will need to attend the first (30-45 min) of training, Policy & Procedure Highlights. If you haven’t done full training recently, we ask you to take stay for the rest of the Basic Ranger Training, or you can take Intro to Khaki (required for KIT & Khaki).
We recommend looking at these these advanced sections (not offered as training in 2024): Conflict Resolution, Mentoring, Advanced Khaki I-Leadership Skills, Advanced Khaki II-Problem Solving, Echelon.
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 attend the first (30-45 min) of training, Policy & Procedure Highlights. 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 1500 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 or Firefighters on site at all times. We have contracted EMTs & Security.
- Sanctuary staff do not have substantial training; consider it a space, and a limited resource.
- We use ICS for emergencies, but only require that dirt Rangers know to check in with Khaki or the OOD.
- 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
Ranger Training Opportunities
Complete the 2024 Ranger Volunteer Form to sign up for one of 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. We strongly suggest attending one of the pre-event trainings, especially in-person for new Rangers, if you are able to.
Pre-Event Firefly Ranger Training June 2024
Online (Zoom): Wednesday June 5, 2024, 7PM
In person (MIT): Tuesday June 11, 2024, 6:30PM
In person (Northeastern University): Thursday June 20, 2024, 6:30PM
Online (Zoom): Wednesday June 26, 2024, 7PM
Black Rock Ranger Trainings
Sign up at http://rangers.burningman.org/training/
The Boston area BRR training date has not yet been announced. If you attend BRR training, we ask that you still attend the first part (30-45 minutes) of Firefly Ranger Training (Policy & Procedure Highlights) for Firefly-specific info.
Onsite Training
At Firefly (Ranger HQ): Wednesday July 3, 2024, 2PM
We strongly suggest attending one of the pre-event trainings in Cambridge 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
2024 sign up through volunteer system: https://volunteer.fireflyartscollective.org/team/384 . Once you fill out the 2024 Ranger Volunteer Form, we will update your qualifications to include "Ranger Training 2024" and you can sign up for shifts. Shift sign up will begin on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at noon.
New Rangers ("ALPHAS"): 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” (walking) or "echelon" (stay at HQ) 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!
There is a Firefly Discord, and a Ranger Channel on that discord. Email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org to be added.
Have any comments, advice, feedback, suggestions, or experiences you would like to share with Ranger leadership? We now have an ongoing Feedback Form that we will review periodically.
If you have any questions, please email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
Changes and Highlights for 2024
For returning Rangers, notes about what has changed since last year.
2024 Ranger Council Changes
Ranger Co-Leads: Roomba & Dolphin
Other council members: KT, Tall German, KitKat
See Current Ranger leadership for more about the Ranger council.
2024 Changes
- T-shirts will be changing to light (pistachio) green
- The land is expanding again (property is called NutHatch)
- New Satellite Outpost near Upper parking.
- Emergency Call Box on Map.
- New Structure at Upper Parking. Might become a permanent structure in future years.
- Main Objectives:
- Assist in Safety coverage for the Nuthatch land
- “Touchstone” for people who need assistance but find themselves far from Ranger HQ (Radio equipped)
- Rendezvous point for safety vehicles
- Minor First Aid supplies
- Accessibility dispatch will staff during the day
- Will always have at least a radio - Lock box & mic if left unmanned
- We recommend reading about other cores:
- Three levels of first aid:
- Self-service supplies in two locations (near Ranger HQ & Satellite Outpost;
- First Aid volunteers (mobile)
- Professional Medical (Northbeast) (near Ranger HQ)
- Sanctuary is now in the Service cluster, not ops / safety; volunteers have less training than some previous years.
- Fire core volunteers are not always available to put out routine unattended fires; rangers have been asked to keep an eye out, same as any participants.
- New DMV core approves art cars before the event.
- Burn Perimeter is its own core now.
- Three levels of first aid:
- Training changes:
- We added a short quick read page: Welcome to the Firefly Rangers
- We are reorganizing the ranger training to have a much policy & procedure highlights part, a designated scenario part, and will be expecting all volunteer to look at the wiki before training.
- We will provide more in-depth training than 2023.
- We will try to accommodate volunteers with limited mobility who want to volunteer for Echelon by scheduling low-mobility alpha shifts on a case-by-case basis (email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org for more details)
- New ongoing Feedback Form.
- Radios: We will have a repeater, but only on Ch 1 (Info / Rangers) and Ch 16 (Medical). Non-repeater channels will not reach all areas of new land.
