Suggestions for a event volunteer?

[scca229]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

They won't be remembered. Printed signs are more effective.

TURN ON YOUR ROBOT
PLUG IN THE DRIVER STATION

Slapping them against the glass is a good way to get the drivers' attention.

Add one more that I tend to have to use quite often although the Driver Station display now helps to notify the teams when it occurs:

WRONG PLAYER STATION

I have two of these to show both station 1 & 3.

[Aaron.Graeve]

Another FTAA (3 years) chiming in. The posts in this thread are right, bring good shoes, a copy of the Field Manual, and your wits.

You should have already gotten an invite to the Box folder. I would suggest looking over all the powerpoints and troubleshooting docs a few days before your event (my first event is next weekend, and I am looking over them now). You are not expected to know everything, but be prepared to be thrown into anything.

When you get to the event, you will probably meet the FTA, Volunteer Coordinator, and Field Supervisor during field setup. The next day, you should meet the Scorekeeper, Head Ref, Lead Robot Inspector, and the CSA(s). These are the people you will interact with the most and serve as the primary points of contact for any issues that arise.

There is an earlier post that the field is your first priority. I somewhat disagree. You are the FIRST Technical Advisor Assistant, not the Field Assistant or Field Supervisor. Your first role should be to help the FTA and his or her sanity. 99% of the time they will assign you to the field, but your FTA may send you to do something else if needed (e.g. if you have more connection issues than the CSA's can handle, you may get sent to the pits to help them out).

You will probably be issued a radio, use it if the venue is loud or you need to find someone. It seems like a simple thing, but having a radio makes you seen like middle to upper level management at the event. Students will ask you random questions about things that are not at all in your purview (I once had a nuanced question that was at the intersection of Game Rules and Robot Inspection). Try to point them to the person who will know and be patient, they just don't know better.

On a more serious note, you are the FTA's backup (assuming he or she does not say otherwise). If your FTA steps out for a bit, you are the Big Cheese and are expected to make the calls. Don't worry though, I highly doubt your FTA would step our for more than a few minutes and leave an FTAA to fend for himself. That usually happens only after a few years (last year, I had an FTA step out for about two hours )

Overall, try to have a good time. Being an FTAA is the best thing I have done in FIRST. You will make friends with most of the volunteers, as you all are there for the same reason, to run a good event and help the kids. After a few times volunteering, you start showing up to set up the field and catching up with friends at the same time.

[ATannahill]

Originally Posted by Aaron.Graeve

There is an earlier post that the field is your first priority. I somewhat disagree. You are the FIRST Technical Advisor Assistant, not the Field Assistant or Field Supervisor. Your first role should be to help the FTA and his or her sanity. 99% of the time they will assign you to the field, but your FTA may send you to do something else if needed (e.g. if you have more connection issues than the CSA's can handle, you may get sent to the pits to help them out).

Allow me to clarify my point.

You are stationed at the field and that is where people will expect to find you, you should not step away without notifying the FTA or someone else. That is what was covered in the FTAA training. The job will take you all over the event. I have done the job of a CSA when I was assigned as an FTAA because that is what was needed of me.

alicen said something similar but neither of use stated that the field was the FTAA's top priority. Their top priority is to help the FTA ensure that the event runs as smooth as possible.