Core Co-Leaders: Mieke Citroen (Roomba), Renee Furr (Dolphin)
Email: rangers@fireflyartscollective.org
Firefly Rangers are friendly, radio-equipped volunteers that work with participants and other volunteers to help Firefly run smoothly.
Rangers are friendly Fireflies working with other festival participants over the course of the event. As a Ranger, your main responsibility is to be helpful and easy to find. As a Ranger, you should expect to actively walk* around and participate in the event!
Rangers connect participants with resources in the community. We encourage self reliance, individual accountability, and shared responsibility among Fireflies. Rangers keep an eye out on safety, guide the lost, and help where they can. Rangers balance addressing fellow Fireflies’ concerns with not getting in the way of participants’ experiences. Being a Ranger is a commitment to aid and facilitate the community, and it is a very enjoyable one.
Rangers are encouraged to actively participate in Firefly even when on shift, while remaining sober, friendly, and keeping track of their radio. You need to have a straight head and be willing to listen to people. You can, and should, watch, enjoy, and involve yourself in the goings-on. You are the eyes and ears of the event and you help to hold it all together. You may head off a problem before it gets serious. Communication is a powerful tool.
This is a great way to volunteer if you like people and enjoy helping them out on a personal level. You do this while contributing to the safety and continued smooth flow of the event. It mostly involves walking* around the event looking at cool stuff and paying attention to your surroundings.
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.
* NEW in 2024: Low-mobility Accommodations
Rangers are committed to the community efforts to make Firefly as accessible as possible. To that end, we are encouraging those with limited mobility to volunteer as Rangers. We will arrange low-mobility training (alpha) shifts on a case-by-case basis, and Echelon is a stationary role at Ranger HQ open to anyone who has done at least one previous shift (including that low-mobility alpha shift.)
Even for dirt Ranger shifts, if you are having a hard time walking around the event, let your partner and khaki know and they will be accommodating. That said, if you plan to do a dirt shift, it usually will involve some walking.
Volunteer Requirements
Rangering is a great volunteer opportunity for Firefly participants. To qualify to be a ranger at Firefly you must have been to at least one Firefly or served as a Ranger at another burner event.
Training Courses
New, potential Rangers are required to take a Ranger Training Course before the Firefly event.
Firefly Ranger trainings are offered on several dates in June (see below).
Black Rock Ranger training will also qualify one as having been trained that year for the Firefly Rangers, although we ask you also attend at least the first part of a Firefly Ranger training for Firefly-specific information.
2024 Ranger Training Dates
- 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
- At Firefly (Ranger HQ): Wednesday July 3, 2024, 2PM
About 2024 Training
Full training is about 3 hours. We are asking ALL Rangers to attend training this year. If you are an experienced Ranger, plan to attend at least the first 30-45 minutes for some important Firefly-specific updates (and if you can, please stick around to share your experience and insight for newer Rangers.) Khaki training* (required for Khaki and Khaki-in-Training shifts) will be offered at all trainings.
*Structure of training for 2024: the first 30-45 minutes are introductions & highlights with everyone together; for the second part (about an hour), the group splits into basic training and khaki training; then for the final part, everyone comes together to practice scenarios in small groups.
To sign up for training, please fill out the 2024 Ranger Volunteer Form:
If you need to change or cancel your training, **please email** rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
To Volunteer for a Ranger Shift
Shift sign up is through the Firefly Volunteer System. Sign up for Ranger shifts begins at NOON on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Sign up requires the “2024 Training Requirement”, which we will add after you complete the 2024 Ranger Volunteer Form. After May 28, allow 24 hours for us to update your qualifications in the volunteer system.
Alpha Shift
New, prospective Rangers must also complete a successful Alpha (training) Shift, at the event, in order to become a full fledged Ranger.
Ranger Teams
Rangers that have completed at least one year of Rangering are also encouraged to volunteer on Ranger Teams. Ranger Teams organize and facilitate the operations of the Firefly Ranger Organization. These are the Rangers that run Ranger Trainings, run Ranger Socials, keep Ranger documents up-to-date, setup and tear down the Firefly Ranger Headquarters, and so much more.
If you are interested in any of the Ranger Teams: Social, Personnel, Training & Education, Logistics, Khaki Coordination, or Communications, please email rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
Learn More
If you would like to find out more about the Rangers, or want more info on Trainings, or Teams, **please email** rangers@fireflyartscollective.org.
For more information you can also view the most current Ranger Manual [Currently being updated for 2024].
See you in the woods!
– The 2024 Ranger Council
Dolphin & Roomba, 2024 Ranger Co-leads; KT & Tall German (Training leads); and KitKat (Personnel Lead)