Ranger Shift Logistics
This section covers coming on shift, during your shift (includes: partnering, meet & greet, awareness, food & drink safety), going off shift, decompressing after your shift (including support vs. gossip). Also see the Firefly Ranger Shift Checklist.
Coming on Shift
HQ is the base of Ranger operations. HQ is the first and last place you’ll visit during a shift. For participants, HQ is a convenient place to find Rangers. HQ is located in the woods close to the intersection of Mercurial and Verdant near the stage.
First, check in with Echelon
Check in with Echelon FIRST to:
- Get your radio (self-service, labeled with role)
- Get your shirt, laminate, and swag
Next, check in with Khaki
Once you are ready with all your ranger equipment, check in with Khaki to find out:
- Who you’ll be paired up with
- Where you should go while on shift
- What’s going on around Firefly
- Check in on the shift schedule
- Check the schedule for your future shifts
- Sign up for more shifts
During your shift
Shift Tasks
While on shift, Rangers may need to do a variety of tasks. These could include but are not limited to:
- Walk around the event: We try to have rangers check on all areas of the event periodically.
- Stay in one place for a while: it’s recommended to hang out and chill with other participants, especially if it’s a quiet day and there are a couple teams of rangers on.
- Assist participants in acclimating to the woods and the community.
- Answer questions like:
- Where are the porta potties?
- Where can I camp?
- Can I light my art on fire?
- Have you seen my pants?
- Help out agitated and disoriented participants.
- They may need to go to Sanctuary
- They may need medical attention
- Mediate situations and disputes between participants.
- Address and report any instances of non-consensual physical or sexual assault.
- Inform participants of potentially hazardous weather situations.
- Maintain safety perimeters and scene control as needed.
- Provide other non-confrontational mediation and safety activities as needed.
- Mobilize medical, law enforcement, fire response, or other life-safety services.
- Just hang out: maintain a presence at the event & forge relationships with the community.
- Have fun!
Some shifts will be intense, most of the time they will be “boring”.
Partnering
Rangers always travel and work in pairs - never alone. Your safety and your partner’s safety are always your top priority. Use your time at HQ before shift to meet somebody new and partner with them for your shift; Rangers without partners will be assigned a partner by Khaki.
Meet and Greet
While on shift, meet and greet your fellow participants. This is important. It will not only melt away the walls of “us and them,” allowing a greater sense of community but will also allow you to get a better sense of city dynamics and potential problem areas. If a problem occurs in your area, you may have already developed a relationship with the citizens involved or their neighbors. Keep in mind that every interaction is a chance to improve our social capital and educate participants about what Rangers do and why we do it.
Awareness
As you move through the event, trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, pay attention and follow up. If you think that an intervention may be necessary but are not sure, contact Khaki. Remember, always err on the side of safety - yours and the participants’.
In approaching any situation, a Ranger’s initial default action is DO NOTHING (exception: must-report situations like medical emergency, lost child, etc.). If, in the process of doing nothing, you decide that your presence would be helpful, engage by helping participants solve their own problems. If they are unable to do so, try to help them solve the problem. If you are unable to help or need additional resources, call Khaki.
Awareness also applies to your partner and to radio traffic. Do not lose sight of your partner during your shift (with the obvious exception of using the restroom), and always pay attention to radio traffic. Practice listening to the radio while being aware of the city at the same time.
Food & Drink Safety
Rangers are a respected part of the Firefly community and many participants offer to share their food and drink with them. The possible inclusion of "substances" creates a risk that should not be taken lightly. If you do not know the person offering food or drink, the safest thing may be to decline or ask to come back when your shift is done.
To be an effective team, all Rangers must “share the same reality.” Being aware of and in control of what you consume helps ensure this.
Intoxicants in Costume
All Rangers must be sober while on duty. Rangers should never be in costume off duty. Being intoxicated while in costume may get you kicked out of the Rangers.
It is important to remember that the Ranger costume is a key identifier to participants that you are on duty and there to help; if you are unable to help, then it is time to change your shirt. We trust your judgement. We admire your discretion.
Going off Shift
Go back to HQ AND check in with Khaki!
Plan to head back to Ranger HQ about 5 minutes before the end of your scheduled shift so that you have time to debrief with Khaki.
If you are in the middle of rangering an incident or emergency, please do not leave your assigned location until explicitly told by Khaki it is okay to do so.
At Headquarters, check in with Khaki to debrief. If Khaki is busy, please wait. Return your radio to Echelon and check when you are next scheduled to be on shift.
Please remove your lam and change your shirt to signal that you are no longer “on duty”.
Decompressing After your Shift
Sometimes there are things that happened on shift that we want to talk to someone about. Sometimes we are excited about what happened, but we need to keep in mind that it is our responsibility to respect participant confidentiality and to maintain our professional integrity. Rangers should not gossip on or off shift. Details of events on shift are not public information.
Sometimes, we want to talk because we need support around what happened on shift. There are many resources available to you to receive appropriate support: Khaki, the OOD, members of the Ranger Council, and other experienced Rangers are available to support you. There is space behind Ranger headquarters available to use to talk privately. Sanctuary is also always available to you.
Support Vs Gossip
To try to determine if your conversation could be gossip or seeking support, consider the intention, content, audience,and setting:
Intention/Content: Do you want to share details about persons/camps because it’s interesting/scandalous, OR do you want to share your personal reaction to what happened on shift because you need support?
Audience: Are you talking to someone that understands confidentiality?
Setting: Are you somewhere private, or is your conversation likely to be overheard?
| Gossip | Seeking Support | |
|---|---|---|
| Intention: | Sharing information about a person/group because it’s interesting, scandalous, etc. | Sharing information about your personal reaction to what happened on shift. |
| Audience: | Friends, campmates, other Rangers. | Individuals who understand that information needs to be confidential. |
| Content: | Names of individuals or camps; details of the event. | No names; talk about the experience and how it affected you. |
| Setting: | Where others might overhear your conversation. | In private, where you won’t be overheard |