Answering Calls as Operator
Occasionally you will field requests for information from Dirt Rangers, or a situation will come up where the tools at your disposal can help solve an active problem. You are empowered to transmit and receive radio calls with the callsign "Operator" -- just like the callsign of "Khaki" is used by different shift leads when they are calling in that role. Use discretion when calling out prior to Khaki actually saying "ask the Operator" -- we don't want to jump calls if Khaki doesn’t need our help.
A short list of situations where you might be calling as Operator:
Other Informational Tools and How They Are Useful
Shift Leads use a lot of informational tools to help keep track of Ranger pairs and open incidents. This is your introduction to what those tools are, where they are, and how you as Operator can facilitate their use for Khaki. Sometimes this means looking stuff up for an RSL, sometimes this means using the same tools they are using to keep track of a shift. Overall, your job as Operator is for the most part acting as a backup brain for Khaki to help manage the edge of chaos.
Clubhouse
Remember that the Ranger Clubhouse is a wealth of information about Rangers. Details like languages a Ranger speaks and where they are camped can be highly useful depending on the situation. The Clubhouse also contains the...
Shift Lead Report
...which RSLs use to help direct shift operations. As an Operator, having a printed list of which Rangers are signed up for a shift and are calling in incidents can be very valuable. Especially for things like spelling handles right in IMS! You can access the Shift Lead Report (and others) under the heading Reports in the Clubhouse.
Shift Map
Almost all RSLs use the giant map whiteboard in the ROC as a visual reference for which on-duty Rangers are patrolling in what parts of the city and who their partners are. This also can be invaluable for Operators to have handy on shift. Snap a photo (if you carry a smartphone in BRC), or quickly jot down Ranger pairings once Cruise Direction is completed for your shift (about 15 mins after the start of the shift) . This becomes oh-so-useful when one partner is calling in updates about an incident that her/his partner first called in.
Hashtags
Yes, we use hashtags in BRC too. The Incident Summary field is a great way to quickly understand the big picture of what an incident is about. We’ve started using #hashtags as a way to quickly search for related incidents* when camps and/or incidents have a lengthy and sordid back story. RSLs should be keeping a list of active hashtags somewhere in the ROC. If you’re told that an incident is related to a previous incident, ask if there has been a hashtag assigned. If so, use it!
Passdown
The Passdown meeting happens an hour before shift change. This is where the outgoing shift's Khaki reviews ongoing incidents and briefs the oncoming shift's Khaki. This is also the reason Operator shifts start so much earlier than dirt shifts - Operators are valuable participants in Passdown. Just like Khakis, ideally one outgoing Operator AND one incoming Operator attend the Passdown meeting, both to look up incidents as needed in IMS and to get a sense of what’s happening in the city. This is also your chance to get to know who your RSLs are for the shift. The remaining outgoing Operator should continue logging incidents until replaced by an incoming Operator.
NOTE: Passdown will probably be the very first thing you do when you start your shift. When you arrive in the ROC, find your incoming Operator partner(s) and decide between yourselves who will attend the passdown.
911@ Emergency Notifications
Operators are responsible for monitoring the emergency notification system to alert participants about off-playa emergencies like death or illness in the family. The exact mechanics of this system are still in development for 2019 - watch this space (and your email inbox) for updates.
When new messages come in, immediately bring them to Khaki’s attention. There are a few other tasks to be done as well (printing the message, asking the contacting party for more details if needed, etc.), and instructions for these will be posted for you in the Operator Shack. Keeping an eye on that email and letting Khaki know there is a message to deliver is probably the second most important job of Operators.
Incident Reports
For the past couple of years, Rangers have been transitioning to having Rangers fill out their own online incident reports instead of paper notes handed through the window of the Operator Shack (yay!). One of your tasks as Operator is to connect those incident reports to existing incidents. In the welcome video before, remember the part about the red clipboard icon? Pay attention to when that appears on your screen, because it means that there is a report that you need to attach to an incident. Sometimes you’ll need to create a new incident because no calls came in for this incident (it happens).