Workers

We need lots of help on the day of the event. Many amateur radio operators, timing marshals, traffic control marshals and crowd control marshals will be required.

Stage notes will again be provided again by the organizers. Again this year, competitors are being offered two pass recce of every stage - some stages Friday evening and the rest on Saturday morning., so we need a few volunteers on Friday as well to assist with the recce, however as usual the bulk of the workers will be needed by 8 A.M. on Saturday.

Interested workers please email Ross Wood - ross . wood @ sympatico . ca

Note - we also need volunteers for a Road Work Day on Saturday, May 28th, 2011.

Digital watches that display hours:minutes:seconds are preferred as they are easily read and accurate. Watches will be used as a back up system for timing. They must be set to the official time for the rally (usually found on the official notice board). This time will be verified by course opening and course closing.

A minimum of 2 watches are required at the start of a stage and one at the finish. Bear in mind that there may not be time to transfer a watch from one end of a stage to the other, if you are short on watches. Check what you have and what you need before you head out to your stage. Sometimes watches are supplied; find out if this is so. Be sure to check the supplied watches to make sure they are functional and set to the correct time.

Each time control should have, as a minimum, 2 pens, a clipboard and a supply of paper. It would also be nice if the Standing Start marshal had the same equipment.

A package consisting of 8 boards and a whistle will be supplied to each stage crew. Four of the boards are for the Start Control, and the other four along with the whistle go to the Finish Control. One crew member from the stage or one member of each of the Start and Finish Control groups will have to sign for this equipment and be responsible for its safe and complete return.

All workers should be prepared to operate an evening control so everyone should bring a functional flashlight. Check the batteries before you head out! A flashlight may be essential to those doing the outside Standing Start or Flying Finish or at Traffic Controls for Spectator Point marshalling/crowd control.

The Standing Start or Flying Finish marshals MUST stand outside in the weather. Everyone should be prepared for weather conditions ranging from hot to wet to buggy to cold. (Hiking boots, rain coats, winter jacket, sweater, umbrella, gloves, bug spray/lotion, bug netting etc.).

You may be away from civilisation for a good part of the day and evening, so be prepared by taking along a cooler with food and drinks (thermos for hot drinks, if cold). Bring supplies from home or find out before hand where you can get them near the start. Be sure you have everything you need before you leave in a convoy or arrive at your working location. NOTE: alcoholic beverages are not allowed as per our insurance agreement.

Make sure your vehicle's gas tanks are full before heading away from the main highway, especially if it is cold, as you may end up being out at your location for longer than you think. Please be mindful of carbon monoxide poisoning if running your car for long periods of time with the windows rolled up.

Any fishing or hunting equipment. Some parts of the rally run through restricted areas and serious fines and impoundment of vehicles may result.

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), local governments and local authorities, by legal contractual agreements, have given us the right to have full control over all the roads we are using for stages in this Rally, including the right to full closure at times of high risk.

However, we wish to co-operate in every possible way with locals as much as we can. Being friendly, understanding of their concerns and needs, yet firm in our enforcement of control for everyone's safety is the key.

Prevention of problems in advance is our best defence. All roads have large notice signs posted on them 30 days prior to the Rally. This is a requirement of our MNR contract to do this. The notice signs have a phone number for inquiries so that locals have ample opportunity to inquire or object. In addition, every cottage along the route receives advance notice regarding the Rally. We suggest that you speak to every person that you see on or near a stage road, well ahead of the Course Opening Cars, so that they will be aware and can get in or out when it won't interfere.

Some points that can be used with locals to try and appease any problems:

1. Take advantage of the opportunity to spectate some exciting displays of high-speed driving.
2. The MNR provides for various other segments of the population in ways like stocking lakes with fish, creating and grooming snowmobile trails, allowing hunting, providing campsites etc. Letting us use their roads for a few hours a year is a simple, inexpensive means of serving another part of the populace.
3. The Rally contributes annually to road repair budgets, and assists directly with road repairs. In some cases, we are the only source of income for road maintenance work.
4. The rally brings considerable publicity to the area.
5. The rally brings considerable revenue to the area.
6. Roads that belong to the MNR are considered private roads, not public. Cottagers etc. should be thankful that they are allowed to use them at all.
7. The OPP are fully aware of the Rally and will support us.

If all else fails, become forceful. For everyone's safety, we will not allow vehicles in when it is unsafe. If it gets nasty and you are down to threatening to call the police, advise a Rally Official immediately.

To control access means CONTROL!! Block the road with your car, logs or whatever, so that no one enters the stage without your consent.

Four way flashers may be turned on while the stage runs to further alert any public traffic that approaches that there is something significant going on.

Try to position your vehicle so that your lights do not distract, mislead or annoy any rally cars.

The safety of the rally and our ability to keep it running on time depends on the crowd control team keeping spectators safely out of the path of the rally.

No one under 18 years of age may work in a hot zone of a spectator stage. Hot zones are areas of potential danger such as escape roads, run-off areas, the outside of turns, and any start or finish areas. Avoid these areas at all times. All workers must sign the waiver, and must wear an official wristband.

• where the area coordinator will be during the running of the stage
• the location of the nearest radio crew
• the direction of the rally traffic
• hot zones in your area
• what time to expect the first car
• how you and your team are going to help keep the rally safe

• set up the spectator area to protect spectators, competitors, and workers
• post warning signs to ensure that spectators entering the area must pass them
• manage the spectator parking to provide access for emergency vehicles
• keep spectators behind the banners and away from danger areas
• indicate to spectators when a car is approaching the area
• clean the area, removing all debris and banners at the conclusion of the stage

• be positive and polite; people will do what you ask if you act as if they will
• have your supervisor handle any difficult spectators who won't co-operate
• remember that it is easier to move people before they get comfortable
• it is also easier to move the first person who stands in a danger area than the fourth
• stand where you can see the crowd and the road
• remember that small children and pets are unpredictable; watch for them
• set a good example for those around you by not placing yourself in a dangerous position

Securing a stage for a performance rally means clearing the road of all non-rally traffic, checking any tracks or trails onto the the stage road for non-rally traffic, and placing traffic control crews, preferably with radios, at significant roads that intersect the stage to block and prevent access to any traffic during the running of the stage. Stage security is maintained by use of a radio network at each end and along the stage.

To secure a stage, the entire Stage Team must arrive at the stage in plenty of time to set up the controls and sweep the stage. Radio teams may or may not already be in place when you arrive. Be sure you know if they are supposed to travel with you, or be in place, before you head out.

1. Proceed to one end of the stage (start or finish), whichever is most accessible to a main road or as you are directed by the Coordinator or Rallymaster. Set up the marshals and radio crews for that location so that that access point is secure from non-rally traffic.
   
   
2. Take the rest of the stage team and proceed through the stage. Check all side roads indicated in your stage package, plus any others that you feel warrant checking for campers, loggers or spectators. If roads have been pre-checked and marked with yellow caution tape, ensure the tape is intact, has not been torn and retied and there are no fresh vehicle tracks that may have gone under the tape. If you are unsure, check the road, or place a traffic control crew there, or contact the Routemaster for instructions. Do not just leave the road without being sure there is no one down it.
   
   
3. If you encounter non-rally traffic in the side roads or on the stage, advise these people what is happening and the associated dangers and give them a copy of the road closure warning notice. If you find a vehicle with no people, leave the warning notice under a windshield wiper. If the vehicle is on the stage road and may interfere with the rally, contact the Area Supervisor or the Routemaster for instructions.
   
   
4. The stage should be swept in such a way as to preclude the possibility of non-rally traffic getting past you unnoticed. For example, you should:
   • Leave one vehicle on the stage road.
   • Send a second vehicle into the side road.
   • The other vehicles in the crew can go ahead and do the same at the next road.
   
   
5. Place all traffic control crews as you reach their position so that the stage is secured to that point.
   
   
6. Once you reach the other end of the stage, set up the marshals and radio crew.
   
   
7. When the stage is properly cleared, set-up and all is in order, place yourself where you feel you are needed, either at a control location if the marshals are inexperienced or at a Traffic Control (TC). If you are responsible for the safe running of the stage, be sure that wherever you place yourself, you are in radio contact with the start, finish and all TCs in between. When traveling to your position, it is preferred that you travel along the stage route to double check that everything is in order.
   
   
8. When everyone is in place, do a radio check to make sure you can hear everyone and they are ready to run the stage. Also ensure that all radios know that non-rally vehicles are not allowed into the stage once it is secured without contacting you or the Routemaster.
   
   
9. Slow Course Opening Car/Car 00 - runs the course slowly, checking that the controls are set up properly, vehicles and boards are in the right locations, TCs are in position, radio net is functional. They also check watches that will be used for timing. Stickers are issued to Car 00 at the start and the finish with the correct time. The marshal at the Flying Finish should be prepared to treat Car 00 like a rally car, blowing the whistle as they pass. Car 00 may pass through the course as early as one hour before the competitors are expected. Once Car 00 has passed, the stage is considered "Open" and therefore closed to ALL traffic. All positions should be aware that if they are approached by insistent locals or spectators who want to use the road, do not let them in - they must contact the Area Supervisor or the Rallymaster for instructions. The rally must not be delayed by other traffic, especially spectators, except in case of emergency.
   
   
10. Fast Course Opening/Car 0 - runs the course at speed. Car 0 also checks all the things that Car 00 does (boards, watches, whistles, radios, etc.) and must be treated like a real competitor on the course. All positions must know that unless they are told otherwise by the Area Supervisor or Routemaster, Car 0 must be completely free of the stage (ie cleared the finish control) before any OUT times are assigned to any competitors who may be waiting at the stage start. Confirm where Car 0 is through the radio net. The radio at the start control should alert the stage crew when competitors arrive so they can get ready.
    
    
11. UNDER NO CONDITION IS THE RALLY TO RUN AHEAD OF THE OFFICIAL SCHEDULE.
    
    
12. NOTE: In case of any major problems relating to the running of the stage or operation of the rally, one of the Rally Officials (ie Coordinator, Rallymaster, Routemaster, or Area Supervisor) must be contacted ASAP. All of them are in radio contact and at least one of them will always be available via the radio net. All Course Cars and Sweeps also have radios and can contact a Rally Official.
    
    
13. During the running of the stage, all TCs should keep logs of the competitors that pass. This will help to find any that may break down in the stage. As well, any TCs that are having trouble maintaining control of their position (ie impatient, angry locals) or see a vehicle on the road that is not a competitor, should know to contact the Area Supervisor or the Rallymaster immediately.
    
    
14. Course Closing/Car 99 - checks watches, requests a sticker with the correct time, and collects control log sheets after the last competitor has entered the stage. A count of the total number of competitors who started the stage should be given to Car 99 as well as be passed along the radio net for all TCs and the finish to check their logs. Radio crews and TCs should remain in their locations until Car 99 has passed as they may need help locating competitors who may have gone missing. Car 99 will not pass any competitors unless they have surrendered their Route Card. When Car 99 has reached the finish, the stage controls are closed, however the route may still need to be held open and secure depending on how it is being used.
    
    
15. Sweep Vehicles - generally at least one Sweep travels with Course Closing to remove any rally cars that may impede the course, or need minor assistance. Remember to take note of where Sweep is or may be when leaving your position.
    
    
16. Once the stage road is completely closed, all marshals and TCs need to pick up all boards, stakes, arrows and any yellow caution tape in their area and along the stage. If there is any evidence of severe road damage or any damage to trees, fence posts, telephone poles, personal property etc., please note the exact location in the stage and advise one of the Rally Officials.

Motorsport can be dangerous! Despite the organizers' taking precautions, unavoidable accidents can happen. In respect of these, you are present at your own risk.