All Volunteers, All The Time
(2018 Version!)
There are no spectators at InterFuse – everyone is expected to participate. Volunteering is one of many ways to be an active participant and it’s one of the best ways to meet new friends.
Every single bit of InterFuse happens because of volunteers. From the Event Coordinators to the leads to the volunteer crews to the fire performers to the theme & sound camps – nobody gets paid to be here. It’s a labor of love and we would love it if you would join us in our labor.
If you dont know what volunteer for, CLICK HERE!
Below are the many volunteer groups we organize to make Interfuse happen:
Gate Registration
Gate Registration Volunteers create the first experience at InterFuse. This is a wonderful way to plug-in if you are new to the community and a good way meet tons of new friends! Volunteers will receive training and a short list of procedures from a lead before InterFuse and at the event. A radio will be located at the Registration & the Greeters’ Station to stay in touch with the Gate leads.
2018 Gate Leads: Honeybee and Bridgett
Greeter/Education
What is being a Greeter? Not only do you welcome all the burners home with hugs, spankings, shots, and body stampings, you also get to make sure these people know what they are getting into, how to behave, and how to take care of themselves and/or others. We touch on the Ten Principles, but we also strongly emphasize whatever we determine needs to be focused on for that burn: consent, use of money, heat exhaustion/hypothermia/dehydration prevention, any problem areas that we’ve seen in previous burns, and ultimately, what it really is to be a burner. And all in under two minutes! So if you enjoy popping cherries, giving good hugs, and setting the tone for everyone’s burn, this is the place for you.
2018 Greeter Lead: Wednesday
Parking
They show people how to wedge it in when it’s a tight fit, help them unload and get a ride when it’s wet, and help people find a place to put it when they just can’t seem to figure out where it goes!
2018 Parking Lead: Shawn Summers
Effigy & FAST
The effigy crew builds it up and FAST burns it down. The ignition team, aka the Fire Arts Safety Team or FAST, is hand-picked due to the dangerous nature of the job. The FAST lead organizes the logistics, safety, and ignition of the main effigy burn event. This lead is also responsible for the safety inspections and questionnaires of all art burns and flame effects at the event. Ignition lead is considered the acting fire marshal of the event.
*Effigy pre-build will begin in late March in Lawrence, Kansas.
2018 Effigy Lead: Rexy Bodean
2018 FAST Lead: Chuck Russell Email
PreBurn Ceremony
The PreBurn Ceremony is a chaotic celebration of light, life, and FIRE that culminates in the burning of the main effigy. Fire performers dance around the effigy to the beats from the drummers.
All fire performers must have a fire watch and must attend the tool check meeting on Saturday. ALL PBC participants must attend the safety briefing on Saturday.
2018 FAST Lead: MissConception
Infrastructure Kitchen
The Infrastructure Kitchen is responsible for preparing meals for the on-duty volunteer staff at InterFuse. Though the Kitchen Krew puts in some long hours, they are rewarded with the sounds of hungry Rangers and Leisure Army grunts chowing down on their vittles.
2018 Kitchen Lead: Sven McDaniel
Earth Guardians
Earth Guardians help us respect the Earth at InterFuse through education and opportunities for practical action.
Recycling: Recycling conserves our limited resources, reduces the amount of CO2 we put in the air, and is an important part of Leaving No Trace. There will be a recycling center at the Earth Guardian Station. Please observe the posted signs and place recyclables in their proper containers. The recycling center is not a trash dropoff – Pack it in, pack it out.
Lost & Found: If you find something, bring it. If you lost something, come look for it. Valuable items will be locked up and you must prove ownership before you can claim them. There will be a message board for both lost & found notices.
The Giving Tree: Inspired by childhood diversions and the innate desire to share, the Giving Tree has become a meeting place for these ideas and promotes re-purposing of things we no longer have a use for. It’s a place where you can both give and receive everything from clothing and skill toys to canned food and batteries. Leave something. Take Something.
The Butt Project: Cigarette butts are one of the biggest MOOP problems. Every year, Earth Guardians combat MOOP with The Butt Project. Have a thing for Altoids? Save those empties. Like the Green Tea Mints from Trader Joes? Save those empties. Handpainted/decorated ones are a bonus – people are more likely to keep them. When you get to InterFuse, drop your tins by the Earth Guardian station.
2018 Earth Guardians Lead: JP
InterRangers
InterRangers are participants empowered by the community and the MWB leadership to serve as first responders, information conduits, and non-violent mediators. InterRangers work with all participants, as well as emergency services, to solve public safety challenges at MWB events.
InterRangers encourage a community of shared responsibility & only assist the community when needed to help our fellow participants find solutions. The InterRangers’ primary concern is the safety of people, not property. Our success comes from the fact that we are not an outside group: we are the participants, and work throughout the event to further the collective survival of the community. We are here to facilitate participants’ fun in a safe way. Additionally, we require you work your shift sober.
Modeled after the Black Rock Rangers for Burning Man, InterRangers practice the Art of Rangering, using non-confrontational communication whenever possible to encourage cooperation, help participants remember their obligation to each other, and help create a safe environment. As first responders and safety coordinators, Firefighters, and Crisis Intervention Specialists in our ranks.
We can be reached 24 hours a day at our HQ, by radio, or you can find us strolling around in our stylish green InterRanger shirts. InterRangers collaborate with Medical & Sanctuary to form the Emergency Services Infrastructure at InterFuse.
The Lead Ranger will meet with volunteers at the event to orient them to radio procedures, safety, and Ranger philosophy.
2018 Ranger Lead: Brittney Swisher (Swish)
Medics
“Do you like to help people? Do you have a background in a healthcare field, or even basic first aid training? We would love to have you join us in medics! We offer basic first aid and other services to the community and work and in hand with the Rangers when there is any urgent situation. Medic leads are always available to medics on shift for support and in case a situation escalates, so all levels of training are appreciated and welcomed. We do ask that you have up to date CPR training.
2018 Medic Lead: Butterbutt
Sanctuary
Sanctuary is a place where we provide a safe, sanitary, and comforting environment to Midwest Burners event participants and staff in need of emotional, mental, or spiritual assistance. We use compassionate and respectful peer support to help our fellow burners transform challenging and potentially traumatic situations into a positive experience. As a special arm of the InterRangers, we work in collaboration with the wider InterRanger team and Medical volunteers to be an outstanding example of a community of participants who support and care for each other.
2018 Sanctuary Lead: PeTTroV Pteradactyl
Contact petonline7@gmail.com to sign up.
Sound Marshals
Created to deal with the rising number of problems caused by un-checked large sound sources, Sound marshals help keep the peace with the neighbors as we rock the campground. You’ll work with ECs and Rangers as needed, but mostly with sound camps and camp leads to keep sound running smoothly. Sound Marshals do regular checks of sound levels from large sound system sources. The Sound Marshal lead(s) also works with placement and the EC’s to make sure large PA/Sound systems from theme camps disturb our camp ground neighbors as little as possible, and to spread sound camps out so they are not interfering with each other. A good fit for those with sound skills and sound knowledge,and those apt for aural problem solving.
2018 Sound Marshal Leads: Cameron “Frequency” Lawrence
TLA (The Leisure Army)
TLA moves just about every piece of property on the land from one end to another, and do just about every odd job a bunch of dirty fucks could ever be expected to do. And this is usually done in the rain. TLA throws down all day in the spirit of badassitude. Moving shit. Building shit. Drinking shit. Taking shits.
You take a heaping spoonful of cynicism, add 8 teaspoons of sarcasm, sprinkle on a few death threats, and work your ass off… and you’ve got TLA.
2018 TLA Head Mother Fucker In Charge (HMFIC): Free Bird