Volunteer

Everyone, including all volunteers, must have their ticket to enter Freezer Burn. Freezer Burn is 100% run by participants who volunteer their time. There is something for everyone. We need you! Follow these steps to get started:

Steps to get started

1. Sign up for an account and login

Join the community!.

2. Create/update your burner profile

This lets us know what an amazing burner you are!

3. Log your training

Some volunteer shifts require specific training, such as First-Aid or Ranger training.

4. Volunteer for shifts

Congratulations! You're now ready to be a part of the show.

Here’s what you need to know:

Thank you so much for getting involved! Your participation is what keeps our community going and makes it special! We are looking forward to working with all of you to create another event full of art, music, and connection!

This year we’re changing up how we are managing volunteer sign-ups. Our goal is to streamline the process for everyone involved, and we're excited to introduce a new website that will make it easier than ever to get involved. This will be a big change, but a very good one and we are excited!

If the team that you want to join requires training or certification, you can upload it to your Burner Profile. You can still sign up for shifts, but your shift will be cancelled if you don’t attend the required training. If you already have training, log it on your profile for approval by the team lead. Once your training is approved it will remain on your Profile until it expires, at which point it will need to be submitted and approved again.

All volunteers are required to acquire a ticket. You can sign up for volunteer shifts, but the shift will not be held for you until you have confirmed that you have acquired a ticket on pending shifts. Other volunteers who have a ticket will be able to sign up for that shift as volunteers are not assigned to teams unless they already have a ticket. This is to prevent shifts from being reserved for volunteers, only for them to withdraw due to lacking a ticket. There is an exception to this for limited income applicants. Limited income applicants can indicate this in the special requests field in the shift confirmation popup.

Volunteers are also asked if they are over 18 on their Burner Profile. This is because all volunteer shifts require at least one member of the team to be 18, and unfortunately some teams cannot accept applicants under 18 years of age.

When signing up for a shift, you will also have the option to inform us of any special requests or other information we should know. This could be anything from mobility issues, wanting to have your kid(s) volunteer with you, if you are waiting for limited income ticket approval, or anything else you want to say to your Team Lead.

We know many of you have already expressed interest in volunteering. You rock! Volunteer signups will open at the same time as the online ticket sale on April 23.

This is a lot of information at once and a huge change, so please be patient with us as we transition to this new system, and let us know if you have any questions or concerns at freezerburnvolunteers@gmail.com!

FAQ

If the team that you want to join requires training or certification(s), you can upload it to your Burner Profile for approval by the team lead if you already have training. Once your training is approved it will remain on your Profile until it expires, at which point it will need to be submitted and approved again. If the team has a training day that hasn’t happened yet, you can still sign up for shifts but your shift will be cancelled if you don’t attend the required training.

No. Freezer Burn is a volunteer driven festival meaning there are no paid members or volunteers. Every person on the grounds for Freezer purchases a ticket (even the producers and team leads). All volunteers are required to have acquired a ticket on their own.

Volunteers are not assigned to teams unless they already have a ticket. You can sign up for volunteer shifts, but the shift will not be held for you until you have confirmed that you have acquired a ticket on your Burner Profile. Other volunteers who have a ticket will be able to sign up for that shift.

Yes! When selecting shifts, there is a ‘Special Requests’ space to let us know that you are applying for a limited income ticket. Your shift request will be logged as Pending and your team lead will be able to approve your shift.

There are a few reasons that your shift is ‘Pending’. If you have not indicated that you have a ticket, all of your shift requests will remain pending until you get a ticket. If you are under 18 and there isn’t an adult signed up for the shift yet, then your shift won’t be approved until an adult also signs up for that shift block. Lastly, if you do not have the necessary training approved on your Burner Profile, shifts that require training will remain ‘Pending’ until your qualification(s) are approved. If the team requires you to attend an in-person training session that hasn’t happened yet, the shift request will be logged in the order they come in. Once everyone attends that training, the first volunteers who signed up will be approved for the shift until it is full.

Yes you can! While there are some teams that are only able to accept adult volunteers due to safety and liability concerns, there are lots of teams that you can still help with. All shifts will require at least one volunteer to be over 18 years of age. If an adult has not yet signed up for the shift you want when you sign up for it, your shift request will remain ‘Pending’ until they do; at which point you will be automatically approved.

When you sign up for a shift there is a ‘Special Requests’ field where you can indicate this for your team lead. Some shifts won’t be able to accommodate these needs, and may require further discussion from your team lead. If your child is a teen and is able to help with volunteering, we encourage them to register for their own account and sign up for shifts. However, if they are still younger and won’t be able to do as much to help the team, then please indicate your request to have them shadow you during your volunteer shift.

Here are some of the teams that may need your help

A complete list of all of the teams that make Freezer Burn happen can be found here. The following is only a partial list, consisting of the teams most in need of your help. Some teams are very small, only consisting of a few people. If you would like to join a team not listed here, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator Leads for more information at freezerburnvolunteers@gmail.com

Pre-Event

Effigy Build & Temple Build

The Effigy and Temple teams will be seeking volunteers for build days in the time leading up to the event. These teams are the most in need of early volunteers. The majority of their efforts are put in before Freezer Burn, but their work continues through until everything is cleaned up. You can send an email to freezerburneffigy@gmail.com and freezerburntemple@gmail.com to find out how you can help.

Conclave

The conclave team is a group of fire performers and safeties who put on a 15 minute fire show prior to the burning of the effigy on Saturday night. They have rehearsals for the performance in the weeks leading up to the event. Contact Conclave Leads at freezerburnconclave@gmail.com.

Department of Public Works (DPW)

DPW volunteers work to set up the Fraya and to build the First Response infrastructure. Shifts are typically four to six hours on-site, and the team usually hosts a day on a weekend before the event to visit the site to do some restoration work. If you can’t come early, the DPW still has positions for you. Email DPW Leads at freezerburndpw@gmail.com.

First Aid

Freezer Burn employs paid EMS workers for most of the event, but we still require a few volunteers to help with early entry and exodus. Shifts with the First Aid team are four to six hours long, and volunteers must have an up to date CPR/First Aid certificate. Contact First Aid Leads at freezerburnfirstaid@gmail.com.

Placement

Placement requires dedicated individuals that are willing to work (rain or shine) on the early entry days mapping & staking out the physical city. These volunteers also help with placing art pieces, and can also be found driving around with a golf cart and checking for things like vehicles with proper passes, vehicles blocking public roads, and ensuring all dangerous materials are correctly stored. Early entry shifts are six to ten hours, and three to four hours during the event. Contact Placement Leads at freezerburnplacement@gmail.com.

At The Event

Centre Camp

Centre Camp is the hub of Freezer Burn, and it has many functions. Here volunteers will help play host to artwork and events, make coffee for anyone that stops by, give out information about events, tend the fire, and host the Lost & Found. Contact the Centre Camp Lead at freezerburncentrecamp@gmail.com.

Gate

Members of the Gate Team will be the first people participants meet when entering the property. All business, they take tickets and give out wristbands. Gate shifts are two to four hours long working within a small team. Contact Gate Leads at freezerburngate@gmail.com.

Greeters

The Greeter station is where the celebration really starts. Participants know they’ve finally arrived when they reach this point in their entry. Greeter shifts are a maximum of four hours long working as a team. Contact Greeter Leads at freezerburngreeters@gmail.com.

Lost & Found

Volunteers on this team work daily to clean up all of the lost or forgotten items from the bars, stages, around art pieces, and beyond. They then deliver them to their Centre Camp location where they can be claimed by the participants throughout the event (sensitive items such as wallets, phones, etc. may be moved to First Response). At the end of the event they remove all leftover items from the event and help reconnect them with their rightful owners. Shifts are only one to two hours each day while on-site. Contact Lost & Found Leads at freezerburnlostandfound@gmail.com.

Media

Media volunteers capture images (and sometimes video) of all the happenings of Freezer Burn, and work to make sure that the right images are released to the public through social media and our website. They oversee the Media registration for professional or near-professional photographers that would be using the images on their own social media. They also make sure that these registered photographers are operating within our Media Policy, and within the important boundaries of consent and respect. Some team members may be tasked with specific objectives that will help us build our online image catalog (for example taking pictures of the Art grants, fire art, mutant vehicles etc). Volunteers get to work closely with artists of all kinds, as well as with the ARTery to ensure that all Freezer Burn art is captured and submitted. Contact Media Leads at freezerburnmedianorth@gmail.com.

Parking

Parking volunteers make sure that everyone is parked, can get in and out of their vehicles easily, and make sure that anyone entering the parking area is offered thorough instruction on where they should be parking. Shifts with this team are a minimum of four hours. Contact Parking Leads at freezerburnparking@gmail.com.

Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) Perimeter

Most members of the FAST team will help create a perimeter for one of the burns. Shifts are a short three hours, but these volunteers are critical to the success of the event. If we don’t have enough volunteers, we don’t burn the art. Contact Perimeter Leads at freezerburnperimeter@gmail.com, and other FAST Leads at freezerburnfiresafety@gmail.com.

Rangers

Rangers are the mediators that help keep an eye out for everyone at Freezer Burn. Their shifts are six to eight hours long and they work in pairs. Duties range anywhere from helping lost children find their parents, to responding to emergencies and helping get appropriate resources to the scene. Those wanting to join the team are required to complete the provided Alberta Ranger Training, as well as online Black Rock Ranger training. Bystander Intervention training is also recommended. To contact Ranger Leads or find out about training send an email to learangers@gmail.com.

Sanctuary

Calling all super caregivers! Sanctuary needs you to volunteer. Sanctuary is a place for calm; the place to go when things are overwhelming. The Sanctuary team “holds space” for participants who need it. They are the listening ear, the shoulder to cry on. They are the ones that can talk you through your existential crisis. If you feel drawn to help, this is the place for you to volunteer. Training is necessary and will be provided for anyone who is interested in joining the Sanctuary team. Shifts are six hours in length. Contact Sanctuary Leads at freezerburnsanctuary@gmail.com to find out about training dates in Edmonton and Calgary, or if you have any questions.

Sound Marshals

The Sound Marshal team is in charge of regulating amplified sound at Freezer Burn. We set maximum sound levels for each sound stage at sound check, and then monitor levels throughout the event. That sounds all technical, but in reality volunteers get to just walk around and listen to music and read a number on a sound meter. Shifts are spent dancing and hanging out for a bit at all the Sound Stages in pairs, they are six hours in length, and run overnight from 5pm to 5am. Contact Sound Marshal Leads at freezerburnsoundmarshal@gmail.com.

After The Event

Leave No Trace (LNT)

Leave No Trace (LNT) is one of our most important principles and an important role for anyone looking to spread the ethos of Burning Man. Members of this team will help educate participants about strategies for leaving the Fraya in better condition than before we arrived. This team stays an extra day, and they collectively sweep the entire area to remove any leftover MOOP (Matter Out Of Place). If you’d like to know more, email LNT Leads at freezerburnLNT@gmail.com.