Burning Man  Medical is comprised of volunteers from around the country and with a variety of medical backgrounds.  While licensure laws limit the scope of care these medical professionals can provide, all of the ESD volunteers do their best to ensure the well-being of the citizens of Black Rock City. Our mobile resources can respond to calls for help, bring people to our stations for care, or get them to the Rampart clinic,  a small “hospital” on playa providing more advanced medical care as well as emergent air and ground transportation to Reno if necessary.

Participating as a member of our Black Rock City Emergency Services team will give you the opportunity to gift your skills, compassion, and caring to our amazing participants—and when your shift is over, you find yourself in the most amazing city on earth.

Working in the Stations

Our medical stations are located on C near the 3:00 and 9:00 plazas, and at 5:15 on the Esplanade.  These are staffed with a mix of clinical (RNs, MDs, PAs, NPs, etc.) and field (EMT and Paramedic) volunteers. The stations are equipped with cots, basic medical supplies, quiet air-conditioned spaces, and plenty of medical providers to care for the urgent medical needs of the citizens of Black Rock City.

Working in the Field

Quick Response Vehicles

Our medical branch has four Quick Response Vehicles, or QRVs, to respond to calls in the city. Our dispatch center contacts the QRV crews via radio and pager, relaying the approximate location of a possible medical emergency. Once the QRV arrives on scene and the patient has been evaluated, first responder care is provided and the QRV team decides whether the patient can be released at the scene, or needs to be seen at an ESD station or Rampart. If the patient is deemed stable, these QRVs can provide a courtesy ride to a first ad station or call for an ambulance for those needing a higher level of care..

We also have two additional vehicles we staff with medically trained volunteers to provide minor care shuttles to Rampart.

Rapid Intervention Teams (RITs)

Rapid Intervention Teams (RITs) are teams of one clinical and one field provider strategically positioned around the major event burns. They carry a radio and jump bag and are dispatched to assist participants in the dynamic environments of the Man, Temple, and other large burns.

Sanctuary Backup

These volunteers are stationed at Sanctuary, a quiet space provided to participants who are medically stable but are having a difficult time coping with their time on playa. The Sanctuary backup is available to assist with the medical evaluation of these participants and to facilitate transfer to Rampart should they determine a need.

Thunderdome Medics

These crews carry radios and a jump bag and are positioned at the Deathguild Thunderdome. They provide first responder evaluation and care during the evening Thunderdome events.

Bravo Shifts

We also stage our Bravo unit, “Andrew”, at large scale activities on the playa. Andrew (a vehicle that looks a lot  like an ambulance, but isn’t one) doesn’t transport patients but is a welcome respite for burners who need a bandage, some advice, a little hydration. The medics staffing Andrew also have radios and can call for an ambulance or other needed emergency response.

Ready to volunteer? Fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire.