What would you do in an emergency at Firefly? Who can you ask about First
Aid, fire concerns, or mental sanctuary at the event? A quick primer on
our volunteer safety cores -- ready to help.
911 and Emergencies: Radios are the fastest way to get help.
In an Emergency:
* Any MURS Radio on Channel 1 will reach Rangers HQ to call for help.
* You can also go to Ranger HQ, Gate, Greeters, Kitchen, Sanctuary or ask
the nearest person with a radio to call for Rangers.
Rangers will get First Aid volunteers there quickly, and they have a plan
to help outside emergency assistance find and access participants in need,
in the fastest manner possible.
Local Hospital directions and information can be found on the back of your
parking pass.
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RANGERS
If you have any questions or need any assistance during the event, reach
out to the Firefly Rangers. Rangers are a group of volunteers that focus
on the safety of the participants of Firefly and encourage self reliance,
individual accountability, and shared responsibility among Fireflies.
Rangers are a visible community resource, identified by their khaki-colored
clothing (like a khaki shirt with the words “Firefly Ranger” written on
it.) Rangers walk around Firefly in pairs. All Rangers carry radios and
can quickly connect and arrange for other community resources including
First Aid, Sanctuary, or Fire Core. Feel free to flag down a Ranger if you
need anything!
You can also stop by Ranger Headquarters (aka Ranger HQ, Safety HQ) at any
time of day or night to get assistance or say hi! Ranger Headquarters is
located at the intersection of Mercurial and Verdant, adjacent to the open
stage.
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FIRST AID
Firefly First Aid (FFFA) is not a medical service. We are not doctors to
diagnose you; we are not nurses to administer treatments to you.
We are volunteers who are willing to provide you with first aid assistance
if you find that you’ve forgotten to remind yourself to pack your
bacitracin. Remember to look out for ticks, knives, sticks, rocks, fire,
art, lasers, trees, hippies, 4-wheeled all terrain vehicles, DPW, darkwads,
the dark, the sun, undercooked food, overcooked food, cancer, chemtrails,
rain, water, lack of water, air, lack of air, fun, lack of fun, too much
fun, alcohol, mud, hills, and slippery slopes.
Oh, and look out for your friends, too – as good friends do. Let us not
forget how terribly hazardous to your health these things could be!If you
find yourself in a predicament for which you are ill-prepared, please come
to the FFFA tent and ask for help.
If SHIT GETS REAL and you think you or a friend needs to go the hospital,
find us without delay. The fastest way to get help is to ask a Ranger or
anyone with a radio to call First Aid, or go to the FFFA Tent located
behind the Ranger HQ.
If it is truly an emergency, we can look after you while coordinating the
call to 911. If it’s not an emergency, we can help you assess your options
and decide the best way for you to proceed. If you have a condition you
want others to be aware of (like an allergy) we will have purple medical
bands available at Gate and the FFFA tent.
See you in the woods! And remember folks, the extra F is for…Friendly!
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SANCTUARY
Sanctuary offers Fireflies peer counseling in the event of a non-medically
related event or emergency. Sanctuary is a safe, comfortable, and private
space for participants that need a caring listener or low-stimulus
environment.
Sanctuary volunteers help participants walk through their difficult time.
We engage with them when they need someone to talk to, need assistance with
emotional trauma, interpersonal issues, anxiety, triggering of past events,
or just overwhelmed and overstimulated by the Firefly experience.
Sanctuary is located at the top of the field just to the right of the main
entrance to the woods on Mercurial Path. If you need Sanctuary assistance
and are unable to come to our location, please ask a Ranger to radio for
Sanctuary or go to Ranger HQ.
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GATE SECURITY
As in previous years, Firefly has contracted outside security staff to be
stationed at Gate. They will assist Gate volunteers by verifying IDs and
ensuring everyone who gets in has a ticket.
These staffers provide security for other Vermont festivals and concerts,
and are familiar with Firefly—this will be their fourth year assisting us.
They make a point of treating all participants with respect. They are here
to support us and are trained to defuse any potential situations that
Firefly volunteers may not be comfortable handling.
They will only leave Gate and enter the event if specifically requested by
event organizers and will be accompanied by event organizers at that time.
They are friendly, like to help out, and enjoy staffing our event. Feel
free to say hi as you come in and greet them as you would any other
volunteer!
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FIRE CORE
Firefly Fire Core provides experienced support to ensure fire safety, fire
art safety and fire performance safety at Firefly. Fire volunteers assist
you with safe use of fire pits and generators. They also oversee the use of
fire performance areas and fire Conclave on Bug burn night. A few 2017
highlights below.
CONDITIONS – It has been very wet in Vermont. Lots of rain. Good for
burning things.
FIRE SPINNING – Safety meetings for Conclave will occur Thursday at Noon at
Lions and Friday at 1pm at Diode. Locations where fire spinning is allowed
are in circles at Suds ‘n Spuds, Lamp, and Lions. These are the ONLY
locations where fire spinning is allowed.
GENERATORS – If you’ve got a generator, please make sure to keep it at
least 10′ from your pile of gas cans and anything else combustible (like
tents).
EXISTING FIRE PITS – No new fire pits are allowed. All the standard rules
apply to the existing pits: clear the area, make sure you have a FULL water
bucket and a bucket of dirt or a shovel around, and keep the fire attended
at all times, no exceptions, period. If your fire is found unattended IT
WILL BE PUT OUT.
ABOVE-GROUND FIRE PITS – All of the above for existing fire pits, plus you
need to make sure it does not leave a burn scar.
FLAME EFFECTS – All flame effects must be inspected and tagged by Fire Core
before you can operate. These inspections will look primarily at placement,
construction, and safety equipment. We are going to be checking for NFPA
160 compliance. Flame effects must be attended at all times by a sober and
competent operator.
If you have not submitted a safety plan which include operation plans,
diagram that shows how the effect works and its layout, please contact
fast(a)fireflyartscollective.org immediately.
BURNABLE ART – All artists are expected to manage their own perimeters,
including recruiting volunteers. All burnable art must be approved by Fire
Core prior to burning.
If you have not submitted a burn plan for your art piece, please contact
fast(a)fireflyartscollective.org immediately.
As always, TIKI TORCHES, PYROTECHNICS, and FIREWORKS are not allowed.
You can find Fire volunteers by flagging one of us down as we walk around
the event (we’ll be in red shirts), by radio through the Rangers or by
going to Ranger HQ.
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Have a happy, healthy, safe, joyful Firefly, and we’ll see you in the woods!
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