JRS VOLUME #10; ISSUE #28
Jack Rabbit Speaks
Volume 10, Issue 28
Health and Safety Issue
July 29, 2006
WE GET QUESTIONS...and we are here to pony up some answers about Health
and Safety at the event, to help you with your playa planning. It's a
JRS Special Edition: Health and Safety in BRC.
35 days till the burn.
CONTENTS
*************************
Health & Safety Section at Burningman.com
Health & Safety Q and A
Build your own street sign - Adopt an Intersection
Community crutch and blanket drive
ESD emergency dispatch supervisors needed
Frequency coordination: Are you using high power radios on the playa?
Emergency contact on playa
*************************
Health & Safety Section at Burningman.com
*************************
Are you aware there is a Health and Safety section of the Burning Man
web site?
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/health_safety.html
Here you can read FAQs and information about a variety of topics,
including:
Asthma on the Playa FAQ
Diabetic on the playa FAQ
Fuel and hazardous materials storage
General information about the Emergency Services Department (ESD)
General playa health and safety tips from the Nevada State Health
Department.
How do I treat playa foot?
Pregnancy on the Playa FAQ
Rebar safety
Should I wear a Medic Alert bracelet?
Sober on the playa
Playa Fires: Health Risk?
What to pack in your playa first aid kit
...and, of course:
How to gift food at Burning Man: Obtaining a "Temporary Food
Establishment Permit" from the Nevada State Health Department and
sharing food safely!
Check it out and be edified.
*************************
Health and Safety Q and A
*************************
Q: What do I do if I get hurt or sick on the playa?
A: We hope, of course, that you won't get sick or hurt...but being
radically self-reliant also means remembering to bring a first aid kit
(http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/playa_firstaid.html)
and self-treating yourself and your campmates for minor first aid
needs.
Should your illness or injury be more severe than you can manage
without
help, there are Emergency Services medical stations on the 3:00 and
9:00
plazas, and behind the Center Cafe at 6:00. Look for the neon blue
cross
on top of the buildings. These stations are staffed by emergency health
care providers (doctors, nurses, medics, etc.) who donate their time
and
medical expertise to the city as their gift to us all.
Q: What if they can't manage my problem?
A: If the on-site medical providers feel that you have a medical
emergency that requires a higher level of care than can be provided on
the playa, you may need to visit a hospital in Reno. Depending on the
seriousness of your condition, that can be accomplished by either
getting a ride from a friend, or being transported by an ambulance or
helicopter. Remember to bring your ID, insurance card, cell phone, and
wallet when you go, so you can take care of yourself accordingly. Also,
note that if you get transported by ambulance or helicopter, you'll
need
to arrange for a friend to pick you up after your care. There are no
shuttles from the hospitals back to the playa.
Q: Is there a clinic in Gerlach?
A: The Gerlach Medical Center <http://www.nvrhc.org/gerlach.htm> is
open
Monday through Friday, 8 AM - 12 PM and 1 PM - 5 PM. The Gerlach
Medical
Center is a family medicine clinic offering limited urgent care,
laboratory, x-ray, and women's health services.
Q: How much does it cost to see a doctor in Gerlach?
A: An average doctor visit usually costs between $100 and $300, plus
the
cost of any laboratory tests, x-rays, and prescriptions you may need.
The clinic accepts insurance as well as Visa, Mastercard, Discover,
traveller's checks, personal checks (with identification) or cash.
Q: Where can I get a prescription filled?
A: It's best to bring adequate supplies that you need to the playa.
Should you need to get a prescription refilled, though, the closest
pharmacies are in Fernley or Reno. The Gerlach Medical Clinic has a
"closed pharmacy", meaning they can only fill prescriptions written by
their physicians during a visit to the clinic...not refills of your
existing scrip.
*************************
Adopt-an-intersection in Black Rock City
*************************
As you might have noticed, people like to steal the street signs from
BRC on Sunday on their way out of the city. While this may be a cool
souvenir for some, it causes havoc for the medical units, fire trucks,
Black Rock Rangers and other resources, obfusciating the location of
those who need help in an emergency.
So how can you, as a participant, make a difference?
We'd really implore everyone, as a best-case-scenario, to leave the
street signs where they are on your way out of the city. It is truly
imperative that they stay up until at least daylight on Monday morning,
and we're not trying to give permission to steal them (there are still
folks working to take the infrastructure down, and yes, we'd like to
know where we're going in an emergency, too). Obviously not everyone is
guilty of stealing a street sign, but there will always be those that
persist...so we are asking some of you wonderful and awesome burners to
help by adopting an intersection.
The idea was inspired at last year's event when spontaneously
participants improvised street signs to make it possible to navigate
the
city in absence of the originals. Using some cardboard, a marker, and
some duct tape, it's possible to make a legible replacement with just a
little effort if you find a sign that's missing. It will not only help
all the emergency responders but it will also be of great help to your
fellow citizens of Black Rock City. It's a small thing that makes a big
difference!
*************************
Community crutch and blanket drive
*************************
Last year's crutch drive was a huge success. Generous burners brought
their unwanted (or un-needed, really) crutches out of the back of their
closets and donated them to Medical, where medical staff gifted them to
participants-in-need. It allowed people who became injured on playa to
move around while they healed, and then return them for the next burner
to use.
This year, we have a similar idea: a blanket drive! On the playa, folks
who aren't feeling well often need a little time to recuperate before
heading back to camp. Sometimes, that means heading home in evening,
leaving them with only the daytime's lightweight outfit to protect
against the night's chill. Just like the crutch drive, we hope to
gather
donations of clean blankets to give to participants so they can make it
home from medical without having to freeze.
If you have crutches or blankets to donate, simply bring them to the
playa and donate them at any of our three medical stations, where our
medical staff will share them with folks in need. If you are given a
pair of our donated crutches, we'd love to put them back to use when
you
are better. Blankets, provided they are still clean, can be also
returned for reuse.
Questions? Email 911(at)burningman(dot)com
*************************
ESD dispatch supervisors needed
*************************
Burning Man Emergency Services Department needs additional experienced
emergency dispatch supervisors!
Are you (or a burner you know) an experienced emergency dispatch
supervisor or officer? You know, the one who sits on the other side of
the microphone, overseeing and guiding "the voice" coming through the
radio for firefighters, police, paramedics, security, or the
military? Whatever your branch, you are the voice that many depend on
to "keep it all together" whenever the situation arises.
Burning Man's Emergency Services Department (ESD) could benefit from
your skills in our dispatch center. ESD staffs and operates a 911
public
safety answering point at Burning Man to handle calls for medical
assistance, uncontrolled / unplanned fires, accidents, Black Rock
Rangers, law enforcement, and even just the occasional information or
paging request. We staff our center 24 hours a day starting several
days before the event begins and until the last participant has gone
home. Every year our dispatch center handles thousands of calls for
assistance from staff members, Rangers and other users of Burning Man's
radio system. We need skilled and dedicated supervisors that can make
the commitment to show up, stay calm under pressure, and assist in
keeping the citizens of Black Rock City safe.
If you have the experience, skills, and dedication, or know someone who
does, please get in touch with us! Email 911(at)burningman(dot)com
*************************
Frequency coordination: Are you using high power radios on the playa?
*************************
Are you planning on using high power radio applications (greater than 5
watts) on the playa? ESD coordinates spectrum and systems to alleviate
and proactively avoid interference between various projects on-playa
and the Burning Man radio infrastructure.
Please note that in general, we do not coordinate AM or FM broadcast
radio, WiFi, HAM, FRS (aka Talkabouts), GMRS, MURS, CB, or RC bands.
However, if you are planning a high power radio application in any of
these bands, please let us know so we can isolate the signal in the RF
noisefloor in case of interference.
Please contact ESD Communications via email at 911(at)burningman(dot)com if
you have questions or to register your frequency.
*************************
Emergency contact on playa FAQ
*************************
Q: What if friends or family at home need to reach me for an emergency?
A: Unfortunately, given the nature of the event, finding a participant
on the playa is usually quite challenging. Cell phones don't work, and
people don't generally have satellite phones. There is but limited
internet access. Now add the fact that addresses on the playa are
inexact even if you _do_ know where you're camping ahead of time, and
finding a person's camp can become very difficult. Preparation will
help
you stay in touch in an emergency.
Q: How can friends or family send me a message?
A: Emergency messages should be sent to 911(at)burningman(dot)com. The
message will be passed to the Black Rock Rangers, who will do their
best
to deliver it. We will also make the message available at Playa Info in
Center Camp, so if you're awaiting news or expecting emergency
transmissions, you might want to plan to check in each day.
Q: What details should be included in an emergency message?
A: The message should include first and last name, as well as any known
nickname that you might go by around camp. It should also include the
name of your theme camp or other affiliation (volunteer team, etc.),
and
its location if known, along with your vehicle make/license plate and
any other unique features that will help with the search (such as,
"camp
has a 20 foot inflatable duck," etc.)
A: What can prevent me from getting the message?
A: Just a few of the variables that can get in the way: your camp
relocates, or nobody's ever in camp when we come seek you out; your
camp spot is obscured from view by other camps; the 20 foot inflatable
duck deflates due to a leak; there are three camps with 20-foot
inflatable ducks, and none of the neighbors know anyone named "Chris"
because you have been introducing yourself all week as "Captain
Underpants, Lord of the Duck People!" You get the picture.
In other words, you're heading to the middle of the desert, and there
is
no guarantee that we'll be able to deliver a message in an emergency;
it's important to weigh that before you leave home. If you are awaiting
news, you can actively check in at Playa Info, and in truly dire
circumstances, you can take the bus into Gerlach to use the pay phone
there.
The JRS wishes you a healthy and safe burn! See you next time.
============================================================
==================ADMIN ON AND OFF THE JRS====================
============================================================
Email us or questions (at) burningman (dot) com any time with questions. DON'T HIT
REPLY! Email jackrabbitspeaks (at) burningman (dot) com
Post requests: send by 11:59 PM PST on Sunday. (We don't post all
requests, however.) Please type "POST REQUEST" in your subject line to
make it past the SPAM. We can't guarantee we'll see it if you don't.
For questions: questions (at) burningman (dot) com
Old rabbits: http://www.burningman(dot)com/blackrockcity_yearround/jrs/
On and off this ride - DIY:
SUBSCRIBE: bman-announce-subscribe (at) burningman (dot) com
UNSUBSCRIBE: bman-announce-unsubscribe (at) burningman (dot) com
If you are trying to unsub and it doesn't work, please send us an email
and give us as much information as possible. Are you sending from a
different address? Please be patient with this by-hand process.
You'll get an email to which you must respond to complete the request.
_______________________________________________
bman-announce mailing list
bman-announce (at) burningman (dot) com
https://lists.burningman.com/mailman/listinfo/bman-announce
