GATE & PERIMETER
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What does Gate Staff do?Who are Gate Staff?
Join Gate Staff today
What does Gate Staff do?
Most participants entering our city have no real idea of just what it is that the Gate does. We are the first people to welcome participants into the city after they turn off the highway and drive onto the playa. Gate staff have ushered many thousands of people from the blacktop to the dusttop, with a certain kind of "je ne sais quoi" that only this motley bunch can muster. Some mistakenly think that we are Greeters, some refer to us as security, and to most we are those surly guys and gals that search your cars, tear your tickets, and patrol the borders of Black Rock City. The latter is correct, but we do oh-so much more than that.
Our number one priority is to ensure that each and every inhabitant of Black Rock City gets in safely. That means moving vehicles through efficiently and doing our best to make sure that traffic on the highway doesn't back up. We also make sure that everyone entering the city is entitled to be there, which means they have a valid ticket in hand. When we search cars we are looking for stowaways. It costs a lot to run the infrastructure of a city the size of Black Rock and it's unfair to those who support the city (through their ticket purchase) when ne'er-do-wells sneak in. Paraphrasing Emmanuel Kant's theory of Utilitarianism, "If everybody can't do it, ain't nobody can".
We also look for items that create moop (Matter Out Of Place - see Protecting The Environment for a fuller definition), firearms, fireworks, and dogs. Essentially, those things that the Survival Guide says you aren't supposed to bring (but you already knew that ‘cause you read every word, right?). We are not at all concerned with participants' personal items. WE ARE NOT THE POLICE. We don't care about your sex toys and your fetish gear (although we may smile pleasantly if we accidentally stumble across them during the search). We make sure all art cars are registered with the Department of Mutant Vehicles. We unite artists with art placement. We get the ice trucks, water trucks, and "poop pumpers" in to the city as rapidly as possible.
We also shut down the entrance and exit to the city if a child is lost, or if weather conditions make it too dangerous to drive. We have contingency plans for just about every emergency you can think of. If (knock on wood) the city ever needs to be evacuated, the Gate staff would be there to help empty the city as safely as possible. We do what is in our realm to keep the city safe while meeting the stipulations imposed on us by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Perimeter and Census are departments that also fall under the Gate umbrella.
Put succinctly, Perimeter are the folks patrolling the fence line looking for people trying to sneak in, as well as ensuring the safety of those that have accidentally stumbled out, and those that are just plain lost. Census has the oh-so important job of counting the number of participants entering and exiting the city.
The Gate department is one of the few Burning Man departments that operates 24 hours a day before, during, and after the event. We work very closely with DPW, Rangers, the Placement teams, as well as nearly every other department on playa.
Who are Gate Staff?
The Gate staff is a dedicated and diverse bunch. We run the gamut from late teens to sexagenarians, city lawyers to tule-dwellers and everything in-between.
The work is physically grueling, sometimes mentally taxing and usually thankless. Dust storms that halt action for others on the playa don't faze us — we can't let them. We have a job to do.
We are quickly becoming one of the largest departments on the playa. When people join the Gate family they don't often leave. Many of our core staff have worked for the department for eight or more years. We're a tight bunch with a keen sense of camaraderie. The Gate is our Burning Man, and we love it.
We have many types of positions to suit people with different skills and interests. All you need is a willingness to work hard and be part of our team, a dash of patience and composure, and of course a desire to have fun while doing all of this! Our job requires people who are responsible, self-reliant, and able to roll with the punches. And a sense of humor will serve you well with this group. It might be the hardest you've ever worked, and the most you've ever felt appreciated. We are a crazy & diverse family... and you can be a part of it.
Join Gate Staff today
We are looking for people to help us make a positive impact on everyone's experience the minute they leave the blacktop of the default world and enter Black Rock City. We need volunteers 24 hours a day beginning a few days before the event, during the entire week of the event, and a few days after for Exodus. Each shift is 6 hours, and the fact that we operate 24 hours a day means we can be sure to find a shift that suits you best.
If you wish to join the Gate & Perimeter crew, please indicate this on the Volunteer Questionnaire by checking the "Gate" box. Our Volunteer Coordinator will email you with more information. Please note that come the beginning of August we are making our way to the playa to start setting up the Gate (which means we are pretty busy), so if you want to volunteer with us for the current year, please fill out the questionnaire as far in advance as possible.
For other questions or comments, email gate (at) burningman (dot) com/
Please note: It is recommended that volunteers have attended the event at least once before they work with the Gate & Perimeter Crew. You must also be able to attend the meetings & training sessions as scheduled. Training meetings usually happen in the June-July timeframe in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. If you are not local, we will also have on-playa trainings.
For information about Gate Staff Training, please visit: http://gate.burningman.com/calendar.html. 
