Accessibility Volunteer Instructions

Accessibility B(rute) S(quad) Roles and Responsibilities

Dispatcher

Role

Volunteers who will act as the "go between" coordinating firefly participants who require assistance with the accessibility drivers who will help them. This role will be crucial to the efficiency of this year's accessibility assistance to the participants by reducing the wait times between getting picked up and by providing an estimated "wait time" for participants looking to get assistance.

Responsibilities flow “diagram”

FIRST SHIFT OF THE DAY, budget extra time to pick up your radio from behind Ranger HQ. There you will find the radios and a check-out sheet. This is self service.

• Start of your shift:
• Budget time to arrive to Satellite Outpost early, so that the previous Dispatcher can give you their Radio and pass on information
• Bring water and a snack for your shift
• Go to the Satellite Outpost, by Upper Parking, where you should find the following supplies:
  • A binder with blank ride forms
  • Several clipboards
  • The ID Card box
  • Pens and markers
• Set your radio to the ACCESS channel. Follow the radio etiquette spelled out in the Appendix at the end of this document.
• Make sure you grab your ID Card from the box. You can choose to take a lanyard as well to hold your ID
• When a participant lets you know they need Accessibility assistance, have them fill out a ride form.
• We can take people from Upper Parking to their campsite at the start of the event, or from their campsite back to Upper Parking at the end of the event, but not between other destinations.
• Have the participant verify that their stuff is all ready to be loaded, and they are ready to ride along in the UTV to accompany their stuff:
  • Arrival: If they are arriving at the event, make sure all their stuff is ready to go in the Gear Drop Area in Upper Parking, and that they are ready to ride along in the UTV. This means their car is either already parked in its final spot or that someone else is parking it for them.
  • Exodus: Once they are completely packed and ready to be picked up, they should send someone to Satellite to let the Dispatcher know they’re ready.

Let the participant know that each ride takes approximately 20 minutes, so if they are 5th on the list for example, with 2 accessibility polaris vehicles going, it will take approximately 40 minutes to be picked up

• When one of the two drivers radios to you on the ACCESS channel asking for the next rider, give them the pick up details
• When the driver radios to you on the ACCESS channel saying they picked up a rider, note the following down on that participant’s Ride Form sheet:
  • pick up location
  • the exact time (to the minute please)
  • When the driver radios to you on the ACCESS channel saying they dropped off a rider, note the following down on that Participant’s Ride Form sheet:
• drop off location
  • the exact time (to the minute please)
  • how many trips it took
  • Add the Ride Form to the back of the binder

• End of your shift
  • Make sure that all completed forms are in the back of the binder
  • If you are the last shift of the day (ending at 8PM):
  • Drop off your radio behind Rangers HQ. This is self-service, just fill out the proper fields on the check-in sheet.
  • Check in with the incoming Dispatcher to make sure they know where everything is
  • If the incoming Dispatcher is late or does not show up, radio the Accessibility Lead on duty using the ACCESS channel, and then drop off your radio behind Rangers HQ. This is self-service, just fill out the proper fields on the check-in sheet.
  • Go enjoy Firefly :)!

Driver

Role

Volunteers that have had UTV training during one of the work weekends and safely drive the UTV to/from the destination/campsite Responsibilities flow “diagram”

FIRST SHIFT OF THE DAY:

• Budget extra time to pick up your radio from behind Ranger HQ. There you will find the radios and a check-out sheet. This is self service.
• Pick up your UTV from Gate at Lower Parking.
• Start of your shift
• Bring water and a snack for your shift
• Go to the Satellite Outpost, by Upper Parking, and pick up your radio, your ID Card, and your lanyard for your ID Staples has forsaken us
• Set your radio to the ACCESS channel. Follow the radio etiquette spelled out in the Appendix at the end of this document.
• Ask the Dispatcher who is next on the list to be picked up with their location details
  • Name
  • Pick up location (upper lot, lower lot, etc)
  • Car make/model/color (if applicable)
  • Destination details
• Switch t to the TRAFFIC channel to announce that you’re departing from X heading to Y
• Wait until you get the all clear from the TRAFFIC channel
• Drive to pick up the passenger
• Keep your ears open for any emergency announcements on the TRAFFIC channel (like "medical emergency, clear the road")
  • Make sure all passengers are sitting, kneeling or standing is not secure enough
  • Make sure passengers are holding on to something, but not something that could pinch at their hand or cut it when you go over big bumps
  • Try to limit turning the front wheels when not moving, as this tears up the ground
  • MAKE SURE YOU DRIVE SAFELY AND KEEP TO A 5MPH SPEED LIMIT!

There were numerous complaints of Accessibility drivers that were going above a safe speed limit putting firefly participants at risk and creating an unsafe environment All eyes will be on the Accessibility drivers this year and if you are reported to be driving too fast/unsafe, your driving privileges will be immediately revoked

• When you get to the passenger, switch back to ACCESS to radio to the Accessibility Dispatcher to let them know you have arrived
• Work with the Brute to load the participant and their stuff into the Polaris
• Switch back to TRAFFIC channel to announce that you’re departing from Y heading to Z
• Wait until you get the all clear from the TRAFFIC channel
• Drop off the passenger at their destination
• Keep your ears open for any emergency announcements on the TRAFFIC channel (like "medical emergency, clear the road")
• When you have completely unloaded all of the stuff including the passenger, radio to the Accessibility Dispatcher to let them know you have finished that ride (and how many trips it took)
• Radio back to the Accessibility Dispatcher on the ACCESS radio channel letting them know you are ready for another ride
• Repeat the pick up/drop off procedure making sure to be on radio communication with TRAFFIC and ACCESS
• End of your shift
• Drive the Polaris back to the Satellite Outpost and park it near there so it is not in the way
• If you are the last shift of the day (ending at 8PM):
  • drop off your radio off behind Ranger HQ
  • Drop off your UTV at Gate at Lower Parking
• If you are NOT the last shift of the day, wait until the next driver volunteer arrives to hand off the radio and to explain the instructions (if needed)
  • Keep your Driver’s license lanyard/badge for any subsequent shifts (if you have any)
  • Go enjoy Firefly :)!

Brute

Role

Volunteers that help load the participants stuff from their car to the polaris and from the polaris to the final destination/campsite Responsibilities flow “diagram”

Arrival & Exodus

• Start of your shift
• Go to the Satellite Outpost where you will find the Accessibility Polaris parked
• Wait with one of the 2 Polaris vehicles until the Accessibility Driver arrives
• Work with the Driver to load the participant and their stuff into the Polaris throughout the entire shift
• End of your shift
• Go enjoy Firefly :)!

On-call Driver/Brute

Role

Volunteers are on-call in case someone needs help with their stuff and acts as both the driver and brute all in one

Responsibilities flow “diagram”

• Start of your shift
• Bring water and a snack for your shift
• Go to the Satellite Outpost, by Upper Parking, and pick up your radio, your ID Card, and your lanyard for your ID Staples has forsaken us
• Set your radio to the ACCESS channel. Follow the radio etiquette spelled out in the Appendix at the end of this document.
• Wander the event as you wish, but be ready to head back to Satellite Outpost as soon as the Dispatcher lets you know via ACCESS that you are needed.
• When called, try to give the Dispatcher an estimate of how many minutes it will take for you to get to Satellite Outpost.
• For the rest of your instructions, see the instructions above for Driver.

TL;DR

Dispatcher

• Keep track of who needs rides
• Provide people who need help with an estimate of how long it will take (assume 20 minutes per ride)
• Relay passenger information to the Drivers
• Collect all of the ride data!
• The Accessibility binder will stay at Satellite Outpost

Driver

• Pick up passengers and their personal belongings (no camp infrastructure)
• Drive safely
• Communicate with TRAFFIC and the Dispatcher
• Relay all of the pick up/drop off information to the Dispatcher as they will be the ones keeping track of all of the data

Brute

• Help load and unload the passenger’s personal belongings in and out of the polaris

On-call Driver/Brute

• Pick up passengers and their personal belongings (no camp infrastructure)
• Drive safely
• Communicate with TRAFFIC
• Help load and unload the passenger’s personal belongings in and out of the polaris
• Collect all of the ride data!

Appendix: Radio Use and Etiquette

• There is one dial that turns on the radio and controls the volume. The other dial selects the channel.
• Accessibility volunteers should stay on ACCESS or TRAFFIC.

When you are going to use the radio:

• If other conversations are happening on the channel you’re on, wait until they complete.
• When you are about to talk, press the PTT (“Push to talk”) button and wait for a moment before talking. If you don’t wait a moment, the first thing you say might get cut off.
• When you are done talking release the PTT button. If you don’t, no one else can talk on that channel until you do.
• Do not use the radios to socialize or tell jokes. Find the Accessibility leads later and tell us your jokes.