Departments

Alternate Points are other ways to enter Black Rock City, other than through the main Gate. There are two operational areas, Point 1 and Point 5.

Point 1

Point 1 deals with water trucks, fuel and ice deliveries, and various other vendors entering BRC. Commonly interfacing with Outside Services (OSS), Point 1 works to ensure compliance with the BLM’s Special Recreation Permit.

Point 5 (Airport)

Representing Gate at the Airport, Point 5 monitors ingress and egress of air travelers using Black Rock City Municipal Airport to get to the event. We ensure safe utilization of the 88NV by credentialed staff and event Participants.

The Black Hole, located at 5:40 and E, is managed by the Black Hole Operations Team. The Black Hole Bar (aka Black Hole Social House), GOBox, training shade, GateWear, Healix, TOC, and some of Perimeter are all located within the Black Hole, and Transpo buses depart from and return here.

The Black Hole also contains a large camping area, where many GP&E staff and volunteers live during the event. Camping in The Black Hole is open to all GP&E volunteers, and space is assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Located near the training shade is an air conditioned shipping container known as the Bunkhouse. These beds are available for GP&E crew only, and are used primarily by those who work graveyard shifts and may need to sleep before or after their shift. Please be considerate of this shared space – bring your own blanket and pillow, and take them with you when you leave – there is no storage space available. Help keep the Bunkhouse clean – no funky business.

Black Hole Bar (aka Black Hole Social House)

The BHB (BHSH) is our social hub and gathering place and is open 24/7 from Monday of Build Week through Exodus Monday in the afternoon. The bar itself was built by members of the department; while we aim to create a safe place to blow off steam, please respect the space, especially the altar and beautiful wooden bartop, so everyone can enjoy it.

The bar is stocked largely by donations – these must be factory sealed! There are also bartending shifts (BAR) available to all volunteers, subject to Bar Manager approval. Bar shifts are 4 hours long, and while there are no credits associated with these shifts, they do count towards earning GateWear, and all the social capital money can’t buy!

Art Cars

GP&E has a growing fleet of Art Cars that are available for you to check out on a rotating schedule! There are only a few rules to checking out a vehicle:

• You have to be licensed by Burning Man to drive a vehicle.
• You have to have a radio in order to check out an art car. Don’t have a radio? Check in with the GP&E Fleet Team and they can tell you if the loaner radio is available for your time slot.
• You have to pass the safety check test before getting into an art car. You only have to pass this once a season.
• You must bring the vehicle in when the GP&E Fleet Team tells you to do so.

Healix

Healix is an amazing gift provided by an amazing team of volunteers year after year. Sore body? Get a massage! Don’t like massage? Try some acupuncture! Don’t like needles…have you considered chiropractic work? Healix is here to help you help your body! Located next to the training shade, Healix is generally available from Build Week until Saturday of event week.

Are you interested in joining the team? Talk to the Healix Supervisor!

Central Services works behind the scenes to support all GP&E operations. Gatewear, GO Box, Life Support, Peer Support, Training, and Volunteer Coordination all fall under the Central Services umbrella.

Gatewear

The Gatewear team works year-round to produce limited-edition swag (“Gatewear”) which can be earned or purchased by individuals who work with GP&E. Each year’s collection features unique designs, making the items both a badge of honor and a collectible. You can find Gatewear in the Black Hole, near the GO Box.

Please remember that except for our evergreen logo (the yearless skull / crossbones) all the other logos are held by the department and you’re not allowed to use them for home made schwag without permission.

GO Box

Checklists, spreadsheets, laminates and more spreadsheets! Wanna help us process GP&E staff & volunteers as they arrive on Playa? Wanna help volunteers change their schedule? GO Box is the place for that, and so much more.

Life Support

We are GP&E’s cheerleaders! This crew feeds, hydrates and caffeinates all GP&E staff & volunteers, providing sustenance for all dietary needs from nut-free to plant-based to gluten-free. This team also has access to health or emergency items – need a band-aid, contraception, NarCan or a tampon? Ask Life Support!

• Everyone is strongly encouraged to bring their own mess kit, cutlery, mug, etc. We can all work together to reduce waste!
• Masking is required inside the Gateteria. This will be enforced.
• There are veggie & vegan meals available – be sure to communicate any special requirements so orders can be placed appropriately. Please only take a special meal that’s been ordered explicitly for you!

Peer Support

The GP&E Peer Support Team is there to help GP&E staff & volunteers with both work-related and inter-personal matters. Peer Support can assist when medical issues impact shifts, when disputes need mediation or when matters require escalation to Burning Man People Ops.

Trainers & Mentors 

Each year, as many as 200 new volunteers (AKA New Bloods) join our department. Our Trainers ensure that all New Bloods are comfortable working in Lanes, as well as imparting other important information – departmental culture, dos and don’ts, how to survive Working Man and how to navigate the department as a whole.

During their training shift, every New Blood will work hands-on in Lanes alongside a Mentor, who can offer guidance and convey real life experiences. Mentors are the folks preparing the next generation of GP&E Volunteers.

Transpo

The Transpo team gets us all where we’re going, safely and efficiently. They operate the buses that shuttle staff & volunteers from the Black Hole to Gate and Point 1.

Transpo is always looking for more drivers! To drive our buses, you must have a minimum of a Class B CDL, with no air brake restriction. Nevada interstate or any state intrastate CDLs are valid.

Volunteer Coordination

The VC team works tirelessly, both pre-event and on Playa, to make sure all names are correct in Babalooey, all shifts are properly credited, and eats and showers are properly allocated. After the event, the VC team reviews all shift rosters, makes adjustments as needed, and confirms earned Things back to every single person in GP&E. Believe it or not, that is a TON of work!

Everything that allows us to play with our friends in Lanes, on Perimeter or during Exodus is tracked by this team.

Many people have heard of Exodus, the last team of GP&E volunteers and staff that Participants interact with on Playa as they make their way home. What you may not know is that before the event begins, the Exodus Staging Lot crew assists Gate Operations on Opening Night, providing a place for early arrivals.

Not only that, our Flagging Team allows Participants to get safely back onto County Road 34 (CR34), our Pulsing Team meters the flow of traffic from Gate Road as it makes its way to CR34 and our new F-Lot crew provides a place to solve problems before getting to CR34. 

Meanwhile, in the TOC (Traffic Operations Center), team members gather data (traffic and weather conditions) and share information on GARS (Gate Advisory Radio Station) to keep everyone up to date on travel times and traffic conditions pre-, during, and post-event.

Staging Lot

Prior to the Gate opening at 12:01 am on Sunday, Participants without Setup Access Passes (SAPs) are directed to the Staging Lot to wait. Once Gate officially opens, Participants from Staging lot are fed back into the traffic stream.

F-Lot

F-Lot is to Exodus what D-Lot is to Gate. What does the F stand for? The Final Frontier to Find it or Fix it before pavement. The goal is to keep traffic moving from Pulsing to the pavement. F-Lot is located at the Pulsing Station on both sides of Gate Road. There is lighting, shade, portos and internet access.

Participants may go to F-Lot if:

• They have become separated from their vehicle
• They have lost their passengers
• Their vehicle needs to be jumped or towed
• They need to secure their load before getting on the highway
• They are too tired to drive safely.

F-Lot is staffed from Saturday at 6 pm through Tuesday (or when demand slows).

Flaggers

Exodus Flaggers are trained and certified by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATTSA) to assist traffic flow from the dust back onto paved roads. Flaggers hold through traffic on CR34 as Participant vehicles turn onto CR34, as well as holding Exodus traffic as necessary to support law enforcement and emergency vehicles. Training and certification can be completed onsite – training takes place Wednesday of Event Week.

Pulsers

Exodus Pulsing meters traffic during Exodus. Pulsing is the act of allowing a measured average amount of traffic go from a designated stop point on Gate Road to the Gravel Road. This allows Participants to shut off their vehicles and conserve gas, grab a quick nap, stretch, use the portos, etc. Pulsers help identify Participants with vehicle or reunification issues and can direct them to F-Lot. The Pulsing Station is located near the 0.5 mile mark on Gate Road.

Traffic Operations Center (TOC)

The TOC is our communications and data collection center. TOC opens during Build Week and operates 24 hours a day through the end of Exodus. TOC volunteers work with Apex, Pulsing and Flagging teams via radio to gather information to be shared through official channels – GARS, BMIR, and burningman.org. Familiarity and comfort with computers and radio communication is required, as well as a customer service mindset. TOC might be a good fit for people who are less physically abled, as the role is seated, indoors, and in an air conditioned space.

All TOC staff & volunteers are required to sign an NDA each year.

The Gate is the main entrance to Black Rock City for most Participants and attendees.  Gate Operations staff & volunteers are responsible for ensuring only credentialed or ticketed individuals enter BRC. We process all entrants – Burning Man Founders, first time Participants, staff and everyone in between.

Lanes

The best known aspect of GP&E, Lanes are the main processing center of Gate. This is where credentials are verified and the bulk of vehicles are searched for impermissible items and/or unauthorized Participants.

Apex

Apex are the first people that Participants will meet along Gate road. Apex crew assesses the vehicles for one criterion – who needs to go to the Will Call lot and who is ready to proceed straight into Lanes.

D-Lot

If it’s too complicated for Lanes, it gets sent to D-Lot. D-Lot has the extra time, bandwidth and support to help Participants enter Black Rock City successfully. We want to keep traffic moving in Lanes, so if a car has broken down, a truck requires a more thorough search, or a ticket has been misplaced, the vehicle will be moved to D-Lot for resolution.

Exit Lane

Exit Lane manages Participant vehicles leaving Black Rock City during the event. Exit Lane crew scans departing vehicles and verifies anyone who intends to return has a wrist band as necessary.

Lane 13

Lane 13 processes the Burner Express buses, as well as other charter bus lines delivering Participants en masse.

Scanners

Scanners are our tech support in the lanes, maintaining, recharging, and fixing the scanners we use throughout Gate Operations.

Will Call Lot 

Located next to Apex, Will Call Lot handles vehicles with passengers who need to pick up their tickets at Box Office. Apex directs vehicles to Will Call Lot, and Will Call Lot crew directs vehicles back into Lanes after tickets have been retrieved.

GP&E Logistics builds and maintains the physical infrastructure for all GP&E sub-departments and operational areas.

Road

We build and maintain Gate Road, used by all Participants who enter and exit during the event.

Waste

Waste Stream moves around all GP&E operational areas, as well as the Black Hole, multiple times a day during pre-event and event week. They are responsible for collecting all waste that has been left in disposal areas, sorting said waste and taking it to the Transfer station for further processing.

Strike

Strike removes and packs away all of the physical infrastructure belonging to the department, and MOOPs all operational and living areas to ensure GP&E Leaves No Trace.

Perimeter works outside of Black Rock City’s physical boundaries. Occasionally, people attempt to enter BRC in a manner the event and BLM do not allow. Some participants wander into the open playa to follow the stars. Perimeter Drivers and Riders assist people in these and other situations.