Parking
Parking is a very important role at Firefly because if we can’t deal with all the vehicles, there’s no way we can have an event. Parking is a big core, with over 130 volunteers (only Rangers have more).
Leading this core is a big responsibility, so there HAVE TO be multiple leads.
It's a lot of work before and after the event, but if you do it right (and are lucky) it's not much during the event so you can relax.
Parking Lead Responsibilities
- Plan Parking
- Figure out parking areas (including special parking for box trucks, art, medical, portos, ice, dpw, etc)
- Figure out traffic flow in coordination with landowners and other stakeholders
- Inventory gear and replace anything broken or missing
- Set up Parking
- Stake out lots
- put up signage
- put out tenex (turf protection mesh)
- put up trash fence
- make sure areas are mown and weed whacked
- Stake out special parking areas
- Prevent and Mitigate Clusterfucks
- Make sure early arrival vehicles are parked effectively
- Develop emergency plans (especially for rain/mud)
- Coordinate with DPW, Arrivals, GTFO, Gate, Art, Bus, Accessibility, Medical, Ice, and other cores
- ensure gear and procedures in place to deal with stuck and disabled vehicles
- Coordinate Volunteers
- Determine shifts
- Communicate with volunteers ahead of event
- create and distribute volunteer instruction binders
- ensure that volunteers are at shifts
- respond to volunteer needs by radio and in person
- fill gaps in volunteers (with gnomes)
- make sure vehicle counts happen, collate the data, and present to the noon meeting at 1
- Clean up after Exodus
- dismantle stakes, signs
- remove trash fence
- clean and organize materials
- ensure parking stations are packed away
Who makes a good Parking Lead?
Location
Remote is fine before event, but you have to be onsite before and after (and during!) the event.
Schedule
February-May
- planning parking and coordinating with other core leads
- build volunteer schedule before tickets go on sale
May-June
- fill volunteer slots
- create volunteer binders
- inventory gear
- source new gear
Onsite:
- at least one work weekend for inventory and prep
- super secret weekend to set up (get volunteers for this too it's a ton of work)
- early arrival
- during event available by radio and often in person during the day
- ensure volunteers have information, food, water, shade etc -- everything they need to succeed
- exodus
- post event
Experience
Firefly experience is required. Ability to read maps useful. Driving experience.
Skills
- Planning
- Decisionmaking (the buck often stops here)
- Forceful collaboration with other cores
- Communication with other cores and volunteers
- Quick thinking in times of confusion -- you have to be decisive under pressure
- Good judgement / common sense
- Flexibility while maintaining boundaries
- Sense of humor / ability to not melt down
Documentation
2025 Email to Parking Volunteers
Contact
Got questions? Contact the 2025 Parking Leads:
narwhal@fireflyartscollective.org
fly@fireflyartscollective.org