BC Rangers intends to purchase a set of training radios!
Please visit our campaign on Go Fund Me:
2016 is our third year as BC Rangers, and we are ramping up for another successful event cycle. Training will begin in April, and we are excited to be offering more training opportunities than ever before.
We have been very fortunate to be so supported by our local organizations and event production teams. GVIAS and Kindle Arts have historically put line items in their event budgets to help with ranger expenses for Burn In The Forest and Otherworld , and we are so very grateful. These budgets cover expenses like venue costs for training, on-site identification for events (laminates, T-shirts, etc), and refreshments for Ranger HQ at events (water, granola bars etc).
We will, once again, be asking GVIAS & Kindle for support with these expenses, however, we have identified a few things above and beyond the standard event budget that would greatly improve our ability to train and support our local rangers.
What We Need:
The most important ingredient we lack, is RADIOS.
BC Rangers intends to purchase a 10-pack of Baofeng programmable radios , and 10-shoulder mics .
These radios & mics would belong to BC Rangers, be stored and maintained by BC Rangers Coordinators, and be available for use at any regional training hosted by BC Rangers, in Vancouver, Victoria (or, anywhere else!).
Why We Need Them:
It takes practice to get comfortable with speaking on the radio, and it’s impossible to get that practice without a real radio in hand. Trainees always tell us that the thing they are most anxious about is using the radio. We’d like to help alleviate that anxiety, and help rangers get comfortable and confident with making radio calls, so that should they ever be faced with a serious emergency, “using the radio” is the least of their worries.
We always have rented radios at events, but we have never had enough budget to also provide radios at regional trainings. As our community grows, and interest in rangering grows, the need for more training grows with it. As the cost of renting radios for multiple trainings in multiple cities would be prohibitive, we did some math and made a plan.
How Much Do We Need?
10-pack of Radios = $128.95 USD
10 x shoulder Mics = $228.90 USD
(After USD to CAD exchange = approx $475)
plus, $160 CAD each to Victoria & Vancouver for additional training costs (printing, refreshments, etc)
= approx $800
As this is the first time we have ever asked the community for direct support with expenses, we would like to also offer you a promise of transparency. We will publish our budget & expenses on the BC Rangers website, so that you always know what your money is being spent on. Any funds rasied beyond our goal will be shared between Victoria & Vancouver, and put towards future BC Rangers trainings, operating costs, and volunteer appreciation.
Your generosity will help support BC Rangers and by extension, will support the hundreds of volunteers who gift their time, energy and love to support our events.