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@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@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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