Ranger Organization
Council – Ops Team – Org Charts – Ranger Cadres and Teams
Council
The Ranger Council is the governing body of the Black Rock Rangers. Its mission is to make strategic decisions, craft policy, manage the budget, and represent the Ranger Department and community to the Burning Man Organization. While individual members of the Council may work more frequently with one team or another, all members of the Ranger Department ultimately report to the Council as a whole.
Ranger Ops Team
Various teams within the Ranger Organization require year-round coordination to administer, plan, and carry out their work at the event. These leadership groups are generally called Cadres and are made up of experienced Rangers.
The Ranger Operations (Ops) Team includes representatives from each Ranger Cadre. The mission of the Ops Team is to align with the Council on strategic, budgetary, and event-wide issues. The Ops Team allows representatives from Cadres to connect and consult with each other on operational issues to maximize effectiveness, ensure transparency, allow for checks and balances, and ultimately foster a sense of teamwork through information sharing and mutual support.
Council – Ops Team – Org Charts – Ranger Cadres and Teams
Council – Ops Team – Org Charts – Ranger Cadres and Teams
Ranger Cadres and Teams
Within the Black Rock Ranger organization, Cadres are the leadership groups responsible for recruiting, vetting, training, managing, and propagating an individual Ranger team. Cadres are occasionally referred to using different terms (e.g., Training Academy), but Cadre is the most common.
If you want to learn more about a Ranger Team or want to get involved in the Rangers’ year-round operations, check out the Ranger Special Teams document on the homepage of the Secret Clubhouse. You can also contact the Cadres directly or get in touch with the Ranger Volunteer Coordinators to see what opportunities are open.
Art Car Wranglers – Burn Safety – Captain Hook – Command – Communications – Field Support – Gerlach Patrol – Green Dot Rangers – Hot Springs Patrol – HQ – Intercept – LNT – Logistics – Mentors – OOD – Operators – Quartermaster – RIDE – RNR – Regional Rangers – Sandmen – SITE – Tech – Training – Troubleshooters – Vehicle Maintenance – Volunteer Coordinators – WESL
Art Car Wranglers
The bike and foot-mobile Art Car Wranglers set and maintain safe perimeters and fire lanes for Mutant Vehicles and bicycles at large burn events. The Wranglers’ goals are to ensure that vehicles and clusters of bicycles are properly placed to facilitate open participant flow, and that they have a reasonably clear view of the burn.
Burn Safety Team
The Burn Safety Team coordinates with the BRC Fire Arts Safety Team and Emergency Services Department to help deal with all large burns. We wrangle all Ranger burn perimeters as well as provide advice and support for individual artist burns when requested. If it is on fire, odds are we are there.
Captain Hook
Captain Hook is the radio handle of the person operating the Ranger tow truck. This resource is used when a vehicle is blocking access to roads or otherwise causing a safety hazard, and for removing repeat-offending mutant vehicles from the event.
Captain Hook is never called for courtesy tows, jump-starts, or (except in an emergency) lockouts; these calls go to Lockout/Tow.
Rangers requesting tows must stay with the vehicle and/or participants until released by Captain Hook or Khaki. Requests for tows are made to Khaki; do not go directly to Captain Hook unless Khaki advises you to do so.
Command Cadre
The Shift Command Team includes Officers of the Day (OODs), Deputy Officers of the Day (DOODs), Ranger Shift Leads (RSLs), Operators, WESLs (Emergency Services Liaisons), Troubleshooters, and Ranger Shift Command Interns (RSCIs). These teams are responsible for the smooth running of on-shift operations and supporting Rangers in the field. These teams are managed by the Command Cadre, which works year-round to develop and implement policies in an iterative process involving the Cadre, the OODs, the Ranger Ops Managers, and the Ops Team.
Communications
The Ranger Communications Team works year-round to keep Rangers connected and informed through email announcements, town halls, and newsletters. They contribute mindfully to Allcom, edit materials and documents, and craft and facilitate communications strategies. The Communications Team is managed by the Communications Cadre and reports to the Communications Manager.
Field Support Team
The Field Support Team provides a broad range of logistics support to the Rangers including, among other services, supplying stocking HQ and the outposts with iced water and electrolytes and delivering snacks and coffee to Rangers out on burn perimeters. Field Support is mobile and traverses the city and inner playa several times each day.
Gerlach Patrol
Gerlach Patrol leaves the event to perform Ranger skills and de-escalate situations in Gerlach; building social capital in the Gerlach community. The Gerlach Patrol is a very unique opportunity that will challenge even the most seasoned Ranger.
Green Dot Rangers
Green Dots are Rangers who ride the edge of “inner” chaos. When the peer counseling required exceeds your Dirt Ranger training and comfort zone, Khaki can dispatch a Green Dot Ranger to assist you with the situation. Some Green Dots bring training or certification in fields like psychology, psychiatry, sexual violence peer counseling, or substance abuse. Others simply bring their own life experiences and willingness to listen.
Green Dot Rangers are first and foremost patient listeners who are present for participants who are distressed or disoriented. Green Dot Rangers, like other Rangers, do their best to stay out of the way and keep participants safe. Green Dot Rangers patrol in the field, working as Dirt Rangers with a Ranger partner, until a situation that calls on their additional skills arises. Green Dot Rangers also staff Sanctuary.
Green Dot Rangers are also available to support individual Rangers’ internal work even when they aren’t in crisis.
Hot Springs Patrol
As part of the Burning Man Project’s agreement with the Bureau of Land Management, the hot springs surrounding the Black Rock Desert must be protected from overuse. For many years now, the Rangers have partnered with Earth Guardians as drivers of the Hot Springs Patrol van. The Hot Springs Patrol travels out of the city into the open playa to deliver volunteers to Double Hot, Black Rock, and Trego hot springs, three times a day, every day the event is open.
HQ Window
HQ Window team checks fellow Rangers in and out of shift, distributes radios, meal pogs, and BMIDs, and supports Rangers with administrative tasks like scheduling. HQ Window also rangers participants who walk-up to the window needing assistance.
Intercept
Intercept addresses vehicle safety concerns within Black Rock City. Intercept’s patrol focus is on inner and outer Playa during Swing and Grave shifts (4 p.m. until 4 a.m.). Intercept Rangers frequently come across situations where they are a first responder on Playa; it’s a lot more than just directing Grandma’s RV off the Esplanade! Intercept uses both vehicle and bicycle mobile Rangers to achieve its mission.
The core of Intercept are bike-ready Rangers, as bikes are the fastest way to respond to events in Black Rock City. Intercept works closely with Khaki, Dirt Rangers, other Ranger teams, and the DMV on vehicle safety issues.
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace (LNT) deals with environmental compliance issues. If you like geocaching, hide and seek, or a good old easter egg hunt, then you’ll love being part of the LNT team! LNT cruises the city in the comfort of a golf cart in search of grey water, black water, and other liquid spills, all the while interacting with participants and spreading the word on how to keep the city MOOP-free.
Logistics
Ranger Logistics supports the infrastructure, material, and service needs of the Ranger Department by attending to Ranger infrastructure and support functions before, during, and after the Burning Man event as well as year-round planning, coordination, and preparation. Rangers working in Logistics interact extensively with other Burning Man departments, such as DPW and BMIT, and gain a different perspective on the inner workings of creating Black Rock City. Ranger Pre-Event Logistics is made up of the following teams:
- Field Support
- HQ Window
- Logistics Coordination
- Quartermaster
- SITE
- Tech Ops
- Vehicle Services
Mentors
Mentors are responsible for the assessment and selection of new Black Rock Rangers. Volunteering as a Black Rock Ranger requires a delicate and complex set of skills. Our role has been described as “riding the edge of chaos,” and has been referred to as our art: our contribution to Black Rock City. The basic elements of Rangering are best taught by example. We have learned over the years that it is necessary and appropriate to evaluate prospective Rangers before bestowing the khaki shirt and hat that identifies them as Dirt Rangers. Not everyone is cut out for Rangering, and after their first shift, not every applicant will feel that Rangering is right for them.
The final step on the road to becoming a Ranger is the responsibility of Ranger Mentors. Ranger Mentors are chosen because they demonstrate the characteristics and attributes that define the essence and diversity of Black Rock Rangers. These experienced Rangers are open, fair, informative, and resourceful. Each Ranger Mentor shares a common goal of supporting the on-playa mission of the Black Rock Rangers. The Mentor Cadre handles year-round organization of the Mentor Team.
Officers of the Day (OOD)
The Officers of the Day (OODs) are experienced Rangers who advise the Shift Command Team on complex issues and keep the Operations Managers informed of relevant information during the event. OODs have 24-hour shifts and are responsible for understanding the larger context of Ranger operations on that day and making sure the operations of the Rangers as a whole stay consistent. The OODs also represent the Rangers to other departments and outside agencies and are responsible for organizing the 007 group and the DOODs (Deputy Officers of the Day).
Operators
The Operator Team monitors and logs Ranger radio traffic and keeps track of open incidents. One or more Operators are always on duty to assist the Shift Command Team with their informational needs and follow-through on incidents.
Quartermaster
The Quartermaster Team stores and distributes a variety of items including: Ranger schwag, Ranger appreciation apparel, and Ranger apparel and BMIDs for the newly-minted Shiny Pennies. The Quartermaster also stores and distributes common supplies used by multiple Ranger teams. The Quartermaster is located at Ranger HQ behind the Mentor Office.
Radical Inclusion, Equity, Diversity (RIDE)
At our collective best, Burning Man is a multicultural, open, inviting, and inclusive community. The RIDE Delegation interfaces with all aspects of the Ranger department to ensure we uphold these ideals both within our department as well as how we support the citizens of Black Rock City.
Rapid Night Response (RNR)
RNR was born out of the realization that responding to a call before the initial transmission was finished makes for the quickest response time. RNR is a bike mobile team that anticipates and responds to calls we think might benefit from our help. Our primary objectives are to render necessary immediate assistance until more specialized help arrives, support rangers already on scene, and ensure Khaki has accurate information.
Occasionally we engage in special projects. We are a small team who ride in pairs, know each other well, and believe good judgment and a broad array of skills and experience make for good teammates. Diverse personalities and approaches allow us to creatively solve problems on the fly; we have learned there is no fixed description of the ideal next member of our team.
Regional Ranger Network
The Regional Ranger Network is a coalition of Regional Ranger Leadership, including Black Rock Rangers. They provide peer-support and materials for the formation, training, and growth of Regional Ranger teams. The group also facilitates Regional Rangers attending events across regions. The group is global and has a number of working committees.
Sandmen
Sandmen maintain safety inside the inner perimeter of the Man and Temple burns. While the role is mainly one of prevention and dissuasion, Sandmen are on occasion called upon to subdue “runners.” Sandmen receive special training in minimally-harmful physical intervention. As with all Rangers, participant safety is their goal. Despite the name, Sandmen welcome all gender identities.
SITE
The Setup, Infrastructure, Tear-down, & Egress (or ‘SITE’) team is a group within Ranger Logistics responsible for planning, coordinating, preparing, securing, implementing, installing, setting up, servicing, and tearing down of Burning Man-provided infrastructure resources within the Ranger Department, and working with other Burning Man departments such as DPW to ensure Ranger HQ, outposts, and Ranger camps are constructed safely, operate properly during the event, and then torn down after the event. The Logistics office is located at Outpost Tokyo, though during the event many Logistics services operate out of HQ. The SITE Crew is responsible for marshaling resources from within the Ranger department (as well as other Burning Man departments) to ensure that the physical plots of Ranger HQ and Outposts are constructed, operate properly during the event, and then disappear into the dust (well, back into the containers) after the event, leaving no trace that the Rangers were there. The Logistics office is located at Outpost Tokyo, though during the event many Logistics services operate out of HQ.
Tech Team
The Tech Team supports the Rangers’ geektastic needs. Obtaining, squishing about, and sharing data about Rangers is a primary goal of this team. This includes pre-event application development, moving the database to and from the playa, and on-playa administration and troubleshooting.
Training Academy and Trainers
All prospective and current BRC Rangers must attend a training each year that they intend to Ranger on playa to refresh their skills and receive that year’s updates. Black Rock Ranger Trainers deliver Ranger trainings around the world, from early May to late August. The Ranger Trainer Team is coordinated by the Ranger Training Academy. The Training Academy develops and produces Ranger training materials for new and veteran Rangers, as well as a short Field Guide, and the Online Training Course.
Troubleshooters
Troubleshooters are experienced, specially trained Rangers, with proven judgment, dispatched by Shift Command to support and mentor Rangers on the scene with incidents that warrant extra attention.
In 2022, the Troubleshooter Team welcomed the Law Enforcement Agency Liasons (LEAL) integration. These LEAL Rangers are now a part of the Troubleshooter group, and bring with them their training, experience, and skills at interfacing with Law Enforcement.
The Troubleshooter Delegation manages the Troubleshooter Team. They provide input for command trainings, and collaborates with the Shift Command Team on formulating the procedures that keep Rangers effective.
Vehicle Services
The Vehicle Services Team oversees the Ranger rental vehicle fleet on playa; works closely with DPW Fleet Managers in securing and returning Ranger rental vehicles; ensures the Ranger Fleet vehicles are properly permitted and stickered; tracks assignment of Ranger vehicles pre- and post-event; applies required decals and stickers to Ranger vehicles; coordinates the process for Rangers to become authorized to drive by tracking who has completed the necessary steps for driving on behalf of the Rangers and ensures Ranger vehicles are properly maintained during the event. Vehicle Services is located at Ranger Outpost Tokyo.
Volunteer Coordinators (VCs)
Volunteer Coordinators (VCs) are usually the first people Ranger applicants come into contact with, and are always available to veterans with ideas and concerns. VCs field inquiries from prospective Rangers and get them started with the process of becoming a Ranger. In addition, VCs manage a broad and diverse number of projects and off-playa functions such as staff credentials, tickets, early arrival, and parking passes, thank you cards, radio handle assignments, and Ranger schwag. They also work to connect volunteers with off-playa tasks.
The VCs work year-round to ensure that individual Rangers’ opinions and suggestions are considered and that Rangering continues to be a rewarding activity through assessing recruitment and retention issues. The Volunteer Coordinators are most active pre-and post event. The VCs are quite often where Ranger volunteers first start contributing back to improving the overall Ranger organization.
WESLs
The WESL (pronounced “weasel”) Team monitors Ranger radio traffic and acts as an interface between Ranger Shift Command and non-Ranger resources, such as the Emergency Services Department (ESD), and Law Enforcement (LE). Being located in the dispatch center allows WESLs to reduce emergency response time.
