Rangers
General
The Black
Rock Rangers were founded in 1992 when a small band of volunteers
equipped with eight CB radios purchased at thrift shops patrolled the
desert for strays and stragglers. Since that time, our little village
on the playa has become a city that occupies four square miles. The Ranger
organization has grown in size and complexity to meet the needs of a city
populated by thousands of people.
In 2001, we fielded 250 dedicated Ranger volunteers. This hard working
group forms the "non-confrontational mediating entity" that is responsible
for the welfare of every Black Rock City citizen. Rangers are responsible
for coordinating emergency medical and fire control services at our
event. We design, install and operate our city's on-site radio communication
system, patrol our city's perimeter and its streets, and stand ready
to mediate community disputes or aid any citizen who is lost, sick,
or requires information. Rangers dress in khaki-colored uniforms in
order to be clearly identifiable. We are the people you will see at
the perimeter of burn events at Burning Man, and we are charged with
reminding our citizens of public safety rules. In order to become a
Ranger, mandatory annual training is required. This training teaches
us to deal with many stressful situations. When this is completed, it
is said that Rangers even dream in khaki.
This past year saw a considerable reorganization of the Rangers. We
decided to follow the tried and tested general model of the Burning Man
senior staff, and created a consensus making body called the Black Rock
Ranger Senior Staff (BRRSS). Formerly, a small committee supervised the
Rangers, but the BRRSS now consists of 12 to 14 people who represent several
areas. Each of these areas evolved as a solution to a particular problem
or public need. Nearly every function of the Ranger organization is represented
on the BRRSS.
A cohesive and reliable means of communication is necessary -- yet no
phone company exists on the playa. The solution is implemented by our
communication branch. Citizens placed in situations of very high stress
need a warm and supportive hand. To solve this problem, we created crisis
intervention teams. Black Rock City is located miles away from the nearest
hospital -- hence our medical department. Our city is also devoted to
fire art, but it is built from flammable materials. The result is our
department of fire safety services.
The foregoing functions are grouped under our Emergency Services Department
(ESDR) (link to: section I1) of the Rangers. We are often the first responders
to emergencies and we work closely with REMSA
, Burning Man's medical service supplier, and North
Tree Fire, our provider of fire safety services. But this is only
the beginning of Ranger services. Other Ranger responsibilities include
Exodus, which manages the orderly exit of thousands of cars at the end
of the event, the Department of Mutant Vehicles that licenses art cars,
and the main Gate operation, which includes the protection of its perimeter.
Within an organization as large as the Rangers, it is also necessary
to create considerable internal order, with solid organizational and decision-making
systems. Decisions that affect the welfare of participants must often
be made in highly stressful circumstances, and Ranger training forms an
integral part of our Playa Operations
Department . This department organizes trainings that impart the "Art
Of Rangering", and supervises our innovative mentoring system. This mentoring
program pairs new and inexperienced Rangers with our seasoned volunteers.
It provides an ideal mechanism for teaching and evaluating new recruits.
Finally, our human resources department manages the Ranger offices, scheduling,
supplies, the Burning Man laminate system, and a host of other duties
that are required to run Ranger playa operations 24/7 for up to 21 days
in the desert.
The Black Rock Rangers also interface with law enforcement. Black Rock City stands at the intersection of several legal jurisdictions. These are represented on the playa by the Pershing County Sheriffs Department, the Washoe County Sheriffs Department law enforcement, Bureau of Land Management Law enforcement, Nevada State Highway Patrol, and other Nevada state agencies. As a non-confrontational mediating agency, the Rangers help to resolve disputes within our community, but they also bridge the gap between the ethos and the culture of our citizens and the needs and responsibilities of law enforcement. As first responders, we are often able to adjust disputes and interpret our city's rules in ways that avoid conflict. We seek communitarian solutions. We also work cooperatively with law enforcement in dealing with criminal conduct. In addition to our own peculiar rules — our no vending policy, our prescribed speed limits, or our ban on firearms — Black Rock City is also subject to the same laws that govern public conduct in any city. Every year we call on law enforcement to help us with a very small number of evictions or to deal with violent behavior. This year combined federal and state arrests in Black Rock City significantly decreased. This was due to better participant education before our event and much improved communication with state and federal agencies.
Our relationship to law enforcement has matured in recent years as we have gained the trust of these agencies. Our Ranger Law Enforcement Coordinator chairs multi-agency briefing sessions during the event, and we have created several Ranger/law enforcement liaison positions. Our communication dispatch system runs in parallel to law enforcement radio systems, and we have developed protocols for requesting assistance.
One interesting example of cooperation occurred this year. The entire
story of what came to be called the Jiffy Lube incident has been described
by Larry Harvey in an account first published in our on-line newsletter,
the Jackrabbit Speaks. You can read Larry's
account. In a situation perceived by law enforcement as a violation,
the Black Rock Rangers succeeded in bringing all parties to the table.
A dialogue was held and no one was arrested. In effect, the Rangers meditated
a dispute and helped to produce a compromise solution that was agreed
to by both parties. We plan to continue this dialogue and seek further
solutions as one community addressing another.
In many ways, Burning Man creates an "other-worldly" place. We all enjoy
remarkable freedoms in BRC. But it is the Black Rock Rangers who serve
to span the gap between the world of Burning Man and the world that exists
outside it. This is a very challenging job. While participants throng
our streets and the playa, reaping the rewards of their immediate experience,
the Rangers must remain mindful of others. We are the facilitators of
a freedom that other participants enjoy. Much discipline and a clear-sighted
vision of civic welfare are required to perform the many tasks that we
confront each year. Even more importantly, every Ranger must be ready
communicate with fellow citizens and remain endlessly patient during those
interactions.
When they enjoy their time off-duty, Rangers are indistinguishable from
other denizens of Black Rock City. A giant salmon dressed in fishnet stockings,
a modern primitive with knitting needles and Christmas ornaments sticking
out of her head, or someone relaxing in shorts and a t-shirt might be
a Ranger. But when they don khaki again, Rangers rejoin a special class
of volunteer. Khaki may not be colorful, and a uniform is not exactly
a costume. But, for those of us who toil with other volunteers to protect
our community and its city, this inexpressive color is a badge of honor.
We are proud of our motto: "The Black Rock Rangers: Not the problem, but
a part of the solution". 