"Volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless but because they are priceless." - Anonymous

On this page are subjects that pertain to Flagging & Communications in the Northeast Division, Sports Car Club of America.

Topics

Wanna Flag? Part 1 - Introduction

By Mack McCormack and Leigh McBride

Are you 16–17 years old and already an SCCA member under your parent’s family membership? Are you tired of sitting on the other side of the fence at the track? Do you want to get out where the action is? Have you ever thought what it would be like to work at a flag station or on the grid? It is easier than you think and you can do it! Here’s how.

Minors 16 and 17 may work in the hot areas at a track event if they have “W’s” stamped (front and back) on their membership license card. The “W” lets the registrar know that a minor waiver form is on file at the national office. The waiver states that your parent or legal guardian gives their permission for you to work in a hot track area. The minor waiver form is available only from the national office (not from the SCCA website) and a new form is required each year. Minor waiver forms must be notarized or witnessed by an SCCA member. The original minor waiver form has to be in the national office prior to the event and cannot be issued at the event. Faxed waivers are not valid. Members who are 18 and 19 years old do not need a waiver.

Once you have the proper “W” on your license you can register as a worker at the front gate. The registrar will give you a “hot track” armband that allows you access to the pits, flag stations and grid. Then, on the morning of the event (usually between 7 and 8 AM at the cafeteria), see the Flag Chief for a station assignment before the official F&C meeting. You will be assigned to an experienced corner captain who will instruct you in the basics of flagging (the F of F&C). Although, at first, it may seem like a lot of information, none of it is complicated or hard to do. You will not be on station as an observer, but will immediately become an integral part of the team. As you gain experience and confidence in one skill, new skills will be added. By the end of the day you will be amazed at how much you have learned. You will also realize that there is a lot more going on out there than you ever thought.

If you have a scanner, bring it along so that you can listen in on the communications network (the C in F&C). This is the means by which what is happening at each corner is relayed to central "Control". Control is located in the tower opposite the Start-Finish line. Also in the tower are the stewards who are running the event. They make all of the decisions, but they need good information to make the right decisions. Those decisions are based on information relayed from each corner station via Control. As you listen in on the network you will become familiar with the types of calls and the jargon used on the “net”. Everything that is reported by a station to control is recorded in a written log so it is important to be accurate and concise. As you become familiar and more confident with the way reports are made you will take a turn as communicator. Unless you have previous experience with radio communications, most new flaggers find “phones” the hardest job to feel comfortable doing. With practice and experience it will all become second nature.

So what can you do between now and the start of the next racing season? First of all, make sure that your minor waiver is on file at the SCCA office in Topeka, and that your SCCA membership card has a “W” on both sides. Without that “W” you can’t get near the action. Next, mark your calendar for the Flagging and Fire/Rescue School to be given as a joint effort by NER, NYR, NNJR and Mod-Hud regions at Lime Rock Park in March. Check later issues of PIT TALK for the exact date. This is the best way to get all the information about working a corner, responding to a car and putting out a fire before the season starts. Finally, come out for the first event of the 2007 NER calendar, in April, for a double driver’s school and regional at NHIS. Come join us in the action and fun; be a part of the F&C team. We look forward to meeting you and teaching you to be a great flagger.

Wanna Flag? Part 2 - What to Wear

So you read our last article and you said to yourself, “That looks like fun. I think I’ll try it. And, there is all that free beer (and soda) at the end of the day”. As with most endeavors, it is a lot more fun if you are properly prepared. In this article we will review the proper attire from head to toe for the well-dressed flagger.

Conditions out on station vary from 90+ degree temperatures with bright sun to cold, rainy, windy miserable days; you need to be ready for both and everything in between. Beginning at the top, head protection is very important. A light colored ball cap will reflect the sun’s rays and shade the eyes. Although a hat with a circular brim will give more shade, it makes using a radio head set or hearing protectors more difficult. A watch cap or cap with ear flaps is mighty nice, when it is really cold and windy out there, regardless of how nerdy you look.

Sunglasses are a must, not only for UV protection but also to protect your eyes from flying bits of dust, gravel, tire rubber and, occasionally, car parts. Waterproof or “sport” sunscreen is also very important. It will protect exposed skin from sun and windburn. Apply it liberally at the morning flag meeting and before you go out again after lunch. Chapstick (with sunscreen) will also protect your lips from the elements. A bandana can also protect your neck from the sun and, when soaked in ice water, cool you off quickly. Keep a whistle around your neck, on a breakaway lanyard, to signal other flaggers and the occasional driver.

All clothing should be cotton. Synthetics will not only support combustion but also stick to your skin when exposed to flame, increasing your chance of a serious burn. White is the preferred color for visibility as well as for reflecting the heat of the sun. Long sleeved shirts protect your arms against sun and possible flame. Get a shirt with at least one pocket to hold a small pad and pen for notes. Also, get a shirt large enough to allow for air circulation on hot days and layering on cool days.

White pants are often hard to find. I get heavy cotton duck painter’s pants from Sherwin-Williams paint stores or on-line. Occasionally, you can find them at Salvation Army thrift stores. Please be sure you are buying 100% cotton. Painter’s pants have the added advantage of lots of extra pockets. Some flaggers prefer coveralls. These can be good in the summer because you can wear shorts underneath and they too have lots of pockets. They also make layering easy. White, 100% cotton coveralls are hard to find but Wear Guard has them, and for a modest charge they will embroider your name on them. The only downside to coveralls is when you have to use the Porta-Potty (female flaggers take note).

Good footwear is very important because you are standing all day. I prefer wool socks because they are warm even when wet and are not that much hotter in warm weather. Also, if you sweat, they don’t stick like cotton. SmartWool make a great sock with elastic support. They are pricey, but worth it...and they last forever. Hiking boots are preferred over sneakers; they have good arch and ankle support and many are waterproof.

Last on the list, protection for your hands. The ideal glove would be Nomex with leather palms, the same as those the drivers wear. They are expensive, but the protection is important. Some flaggers use welder’s gloves. They offer good protection and reasonable cost with some loss of dexterity. A high visibility color such as blaze orange makes it easier to signal drivers and other workers. I also pack a pair of orange, thermal lined, Gore-Tex hunting gloves for cold weather. Now is the season to get almost anything in blaze orange. Check out the hunting department at Walmart.

What about flagging in the rain? (Who can forget the 2004 RAL weekend at NHIS.) With wool socks and waterproof hiking boots you’re all set. All you need is rain protection for the rest of you. Although yellow rain suits are easy to find, they will not be allowed on station because they look like a yellow flag. For the same reason red will not be allowed. White rain gear has been hard to come by until now. Donna Stevens has some really nice white rain suits for sale at a reasonable price. Please see her NER/SCCA Merchandise Order Form in any issue of PIT TALK or contact her directly at 603-424-2227. A hood on your rain gear not only keeps your head dry, but also, more importantly, it keeps the radio headset dry…and for that Doug White will thank you. The orange, waterproof hunting gloves work great in the rain.

Now is the time to start getting your gear together. You have several months before next year’s first event to rummage through catalogues and thrift shops. Perhaps a pair of Nomex fire gloves would make a good holiday gift. In our next article, we will cover your track bag and what to put in it.

Wanna Flag? Part 3 - What to Bring

OK, so you’ve got your whites and perhaps even sewn on an SCCA patch or two. You’ve got your sturdy boots and gloves. What about the other stuff? To be prepared for whatever Mother Nature might throw at you, you will need a fair amount of equipment. Remember, except for the lunch break, you are out there all day. The temperature and the weather can change dramatically. You need an efficient way to carry all your gear.

Just like for camping, a backpack fits the bill. They are lightweight, have lots of compartments for small stuff, come in different sizes and are easy to carry on your back leaving your hands free for a cooler or folding chair. In some regions, flaggers use large, plastic joint compound buckets to hold their gear. They have the advantage of being completely waterproof and can double as a seat. The “Bucket Boss” company has all kinds of accessories for a pail including a comfy seat cover. You can also decorate your bucket with race stickers and decals. The idea is to have something that can carry all your gear so you don’t have to think about what to pack each time you go out on station.

So, what are the essentials for a well packed track bag? The first item is your rain gear. Never leave home without it! Other essential items include sunblock, insect repellent, chapstick, a small notepad and pen, whistle, bandana and ear protection. For early Spring or late Fall flagging consider extra layers. The day can start out cool, heat up at midday and be chilly again by late afternoon. I pack an extra pair of gloves, neck warmer, watch cap, wind shirt, fleece jacket or vest and “Hot Hands” hand warmers. There have been times (the night shift at Daytona in a cold rain) when I have worn every piece of clothing in my bag under my rainsuit to stay warm. I also set my bag up with a compartment for two water bottles and a few granola bars.

Another item that is not essential, but very helpful, is a scanner. Since we use radios, and not landlines, at LRP and NHIS you can listen in on the flag net to control and the other stations when you are not “on phones”. It also allows you to anticipate black flags, full course yellows and white flag conditions before they actually happen. A tool belt is also useful on which to hang the radio or scanner. A Leatherman tool or heavy scissors and/or knife can be used to release a stuck safety harness or window net. I also carry a small binocular to check the track for debris or the condition of a driver if he has gone off at a distance from my station.

I also like to keep my credentials and worker log book in my track bag so that there is no way I can forget and leave them at home. As you begin to flag and gain experience, there will be items that are essential to you to keep in your bag. If you are allergic to bee sting, for instance, you may carry an EpiPen®. It becomes a very personal thing, so when you pick up that bag to go you know that you have covered all the bases for what you will need that day. In the next article we will discuss what to do with all that equipment when you get on station.

Wanna Flag? Part 4 - What to Do When You Get on Station

So it is your first day on a corner. You have ridden out to station in a van or pickup with the overflow from a Good Humor convention. There is a lot of positive, nervous energy of anticipation in the air. You have never heard so many wisecracks in your life! When you jump out someone yells, “Play safe”.

This is the most important bit of advice you will get all day. F&C is all about safety; safety for you, safety for your co-workers and safety for the drivers. So many people think that working on a corner is dangerous, and while racing is inherently risky for all, following some simple rules with proper safety equipment minimizes those risks. You are probably safer at the track than crossing a busy intersection for two simple reasons: at the track all the traffic is going the same way and someone is always watching your back. Never turn your back to traffic unless someone is looking out for you. It goes without saying that things happen quickly on a racetrack.

When you first arrive on station your corner captain will ask you to perform some basic setup tasks. First, stow your gear in a spot where you can get at it but it is not obstructing either the view or the ground in the working part of the station. Please tell your captain if you have any serious medical conditions (Diabetes) or allergies (bee sting) or show him your MedAlert bracelet. Don’t forget that your health is part of the safety equation. Dress appropriately for the conditions. Dress warmly if it is cold. Stay dry if it is raining. Cover up if it is hot and sunny and use sunscreen on exposed skin (don’t forget your lips). Drink lots of fluid to maintain hydration. If you are not peeing regularly you are behind on fluids. It is amazing how each year we have someone succumb to hypothermia or heat exhaustion. Both are preventable with proper planning.

Usually, the captain will have picked up the radio and headphones and tested them before leaving the paddock. If, for some reason, you have the phones, do a radio check to be sure that Control can hear your station. Flags, a station log book and fire bottles will have been left trackside by your hardworking equipment guru (Thanks Doug!). The flags go to the station where they are removed from the bag, unfurled and set up for use. Check immediately to be sure that you have the proper number of flags. If you are working the black flag station also check for a mechanical black flag (“meatball”), a checkered flag and the number board. Report any deficiencies immediately to control so you can get replacements before the first car is on track.

Your captain will tell you where to distribute the station’s fire bottles. The idea is to put them where you think you will need them so you can run to that spot, pick up the bottle on the way to the incident, and avoid having to carry a bottle all the way from the station. At least one bottle will stay at the station. You will learn that there are typical locations for the remaining fire bottles. They will be distributed up-track, down-track and maybe even across-track. Place each bottle far enough from the track that it will not be hit by a spinning car, but will be visible from the station. The top of a berm is a good spot. As you set out each bottle invert it several times to agitate the powder that may have settled to the bottom. Also check the gauge to insure that each bottle has an adequate charge and the safety pin is in place. Again, report any deficiencies to Control before the start of the session.

Your corner captain will set up a rotation for the various positions depending on how many workers are on your corner. The basic positions include communicator (the one with the phones), blue flag, yellow flag, safety (the one who is going to run to the incident), observer (another set of eyes to help the communicator get cars numbers, etc.) and outpost (either up-track, down-track or often across-track). Having so many workers on station is usually a luxury seen only at Pro events or the Runoffs. In most cases, there are only two workers on a given station, in which case the worker with the yellow flag is looking down-track and has the phones, and the worker with the blue flag is looking up-track and will respond to any incidents. The blue flagger’s main responsibility is the safety of the yellow flagger who has his/her back to traffic! Again, never turn your back to traffic unless someone is watching out for you. As we often say, your primary responsibility is for your own safety. Your secondary responsibility is for the safety of your co-workers. This way we are always ready to help the drivers when they need us. 

Wanna Flag? Part 5 - The Flags and What They Mean

Now that you have set up your corner station, taken the flags out of the flag bag and made sure that they are in good condition and none are missing, it is time to position them for use. The yellow, white and blue (actually blue with a diagonal yellow stripe) flags will be used the most so they are positioned close to where the flaggers will stand. The surface flag (red alternating with yellow stripes) is kept nearby for quick access. The red and black flags can be placed a little further away, but still need to be reached quickly when called for by Control. Remember that the flags are your way of communicating with the drivers. The flags displayed give information about events happening in the sector from your flag station to the next flag station. Thus, a flag is never displayed for something in front of you, no matter how close it is to your flag station. Each flag, and the way it is displayed, has a special meaning.

White Flag

The first flag you will use on any given weekend is the white flag which is held by the blue flagger. It is displayed standing (that is, stationary or not waved) at each station for the first lap of the first practice or qualifying session for each race group to let the drivers know the location of the flag station. However, for the rest of the event, it means that a slow moving vehicle is on track. It may be a race car limping back to the pits with a mechanical problem or an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, wrecker or fire/rescue vehicle. It could even be the worker transport vehicle doing a snack run during a victory lap. It is displayed standing, two stations prior to the slow moving vehicle. For this reason, it is important to indicate to Control that a white flag is displayed. The call should be very brief and recognition is not required from control, “Station 8 is white for wrecker on course”. This tells Station 7 to put out their white flag too, a reaction that is assumed by Control and need not be reported on the radio. As the wrecker passes Station 9, their communicator will say, “Station 9 is white for wrecker”. This tells Control that the wrecker has made it to Station 9 and also tells Station 7 that they can drop their white flag. The slow moving vehicle is then followed around the course with what is called “trailing white flags” at the two stations just prior to where the slow vehicle is at any given time. These white flags tell the driver, “Caution, you are approaching a slow moving vehicle (in this example a wrecker) and may need to adjust your speed and line accordingly”. Drivers are allowed to pass such vehicle. However, when that slow moving vehicle comes to a stop the white flag is withdrawn and the vehicle is covered by the appropriate use of the yellow flag.

Yellow Flag

The next flag is the yellow flag which has several meanings depending on how it is displayed. The yellow flagger is looking down track, with his/her back to traffic, and must be able to see the entire sector from his/her flag station to the next station. A standing or stationary yellow flag, held with both hands over one’s head, means, “Caution, danger, slow down, NO PASSING from the flag to the site of the incident”. The fact that it is standing also tells the driver that there is no obstruction on the racing surface, however there is a hazard in the area. It could be a car just off course or an emergency vehicle or corner worker attending to a disabled vehicle. The fact that there is no passing allows the drivers to slow down without fear of being overtaken and losing track position. Once the yellow goes out, all workers on station should be looking for passes under the yellow, which will be reported to control and the stewards. If the incident (for instance a disabled vehicle) is, at the discretion of the stewards not considered to be a hazard, and will be left in that location for the remainder of the session, the standing yellow flag will be held for two laps and then withdrawn. That vehicle has now become a part of the course.

A waved yellow flag means, “Great danger, slow down, be prepared to stop, NO PASSING from the flag to the incident.” The fact that the flag is waved also tells the driver that there is an obstruction on the racing surface and that evasive action will most likely be necessary. It could be a car or a large portion of a car such as a nose or rear cowling. There may also be stopped emergency vehicles on the track. The practice of “protecting” a corner worker responding to a vehicle that is off the course by upgrading from a standing yellow to a waving yellow is inappropriate, unless the worker is indeed on the track surface. In either case, a mere flag can never protect a worker.

The new flagger reminder for when to wave, or not wave, the yellow flag is, “Waving on the paving; standing in the grass…do not pass”.

During a race, double standing yellow flags may be displayed at ALL stations only at the order of the operating steward via Control. This may also be referred to as a “full course yellow”. Two yellow flags are displayed side by side by holding the sticks together in one hand and the free edge of both flags in the other. The flags can be stabilized and made easier to hold by rolling the flags one turn onto the sticks. Double standing yellow at every station tells the driver that “the entire course is under a caution condition, SLOW DOWN, NO PASSING of other competitors”. A pace car may be deployed to control the speed of the field. Passing of the pace car may take place only by a wave-by from the passenger in the pace car. This will be done until the leader is behind the pace car. Cars may cautiously pass emergency vehicles and cars that are disabled and cannot maintain the pace, as indicated by a raised arm on the part of the slow driver. At the site of the incident, one flag may be held stationary and the other waved to indicate an obstruction on the track. Double standing yellow flag condition will also be used, with or without a pace car, during pace laps before the start of a race or a re-start.

Green Flag 

In SCCA club rules, the green flag is used to indicate that the race is underway and it is displayed only by the starter. It indicates that the course is clear. In certain Pro events, where FIA and Unified North American Flagging rules are employed, green flags are also displayed at all stations for the first lap after the start (or re-start) of  a race. Likewise, a green flag is displayed at a station immediately after a station that is displaying a yellow flag to indicate that the course is clear. In such cases, it also delineates the end of the no-passing zone in distinction to the site of the incident as used in SCCA club rules. 

Blue Flag

The blue flagger is positioned facing up-track, looking right at the yellow flagger and at the on-coming traffic. THE PRIME RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BLUE FLAGGER IS TO WATCH THE BACK OF THE YELLOW FLAGGER. If you are the yellow flagger and your blue flagger grabs you, don’t resist. Go with him to safety. It takes too much time to tell someone to move and then wait for their reaction, which is usually to turn around and look at what is about to hit your station. You can’t outrun a race car. Better to drop behind the safety of the guard rail which will also protect you from debris that will continue at the car’s speed after impact occurs.

The blue flag (actually blue with a diagonal yellow stripe) tells the driver that, “another competitor is following you very closely and is trying to overtake you, CHECK YOUR MIRRORS”. During practice and qualifying sessions this flag is used liberally. During a race, however, it is only used to indicate to the back of the field that the leaders are about to overtake. Thus it is seldom used for the first half of a race, unless there are cars of different classes with wide speed differentials in the same race group. Also, occasionally, a very fast car will start from the back of the grid, either for mechanical reasons or penalty. In such cases, use of a blue flag is appropriate. Most seasoned flaggers will agree that blue flagging is the most challenging and fun flag position on a corner. It requires concentration to memorize the faster and slower cars and estimate the closing speed of two cars to determine if a blue flag is appropriate. Timing of the blue flag is everything. It must be given well before the turn-in point for your corner. Once the driver has initiated turn-in, his eyes are focused on the apex and he is committed to that corner. He will never see your blue flag. This is especially important for corners with major overtaking areas (heavy braking zones) such as Station 2 at Lime Rock and Station 3 at NHIS.

Surface Flag 

The surface condition flag (yellow with vertical red stripes) is displayed standing (never waving) for a slippery surface condition on the track. Most commonly, it represents oil but could easily be water, fuel, dirt, gravel, sand, grass, mud or any other substance, including small car parts that can be driven over, or even a cone. Larger parts should be covered by the appropriate yellow flag. The surface flag, often called debris or oil flag, tells the driver, “Caution, there is something on the track that you can drive over but it will likely affect the adhesion of your tires and you may want to slow down a bit and/or look to avoid it”. The surface flag is displayed at the discretion of the workers on a given corner. Control is notified because the condition may exist at more than one station (eg. an oil stripe). Under racing conditions, the surface flag is withdrawn when there is an improvement in the condition or after two laps, whichever comes first. After two laps all drivers should be aware of the situation, and the surface flag may be needed again to indicate a new surface condition. 

Black Flag 

The black flag (solid black) may be displayed at all stations under a condition known as “black flag all”, only when called for by the stewards via control. It will often be displayed with an “ALL” sign at Start/Finish and at the designated black flag station (Station 5 at NHIS and Station 10 at Lime Rock). A standing black flag at every station tells the drivers, “The session (practice/qualifying) has been stopped, proceed directly to the pits. Do not take another lap”. 

The black flag may be displayed individually at Start or at the Black Flag Station, usually with a number board indicating the number of the car to which it is being given. Depending on how it is shown, it has different meanings. A furled (rolled-up) black flag pointed at the offending driver is a warning to that driver that he has done something wrong out on the track. The stewards are aware of it, and will be watching him for further indiscretions. If he does it again, an open black flag will be shown. The open black flag, displayed at Start and the Black Flag Station, again with a number board, indicate to that driver that he is to come to the pits, on that lap, and see the Pit Steward for a reprimand or penalty. The operating steward will have notified the pit steward about what that driver did wrong.

Mechanical Black Flag

The mechanical black flag (black with orange ball), or “meatball” as it is often referred to, is shown to a specific car, with a number board at the black flag station. It indicates to the driver that there is something mechanically wrong with his racecar and that he is to return to the pits immediately to correct the problem. It is given, most commonly, for a car that is dropping oil but could also be given for any mechanical problem identified by the corner workers or the driver’s crew. Common reasons for a mechanical black flag include no window net, a loose hood pin, a dragging exhaust or loose wheel. Rarely, a car could be on fire and the driver does not know it. In such a case, the corner worker will shake a fire extinguisher at the driver. It is not a flag, but the message is communicated to the driver, loud and clear, when every station on the track is waving a fire bottle at him!

In order to facilitate the accurate display of the open black flag or mechanical black flag to the correct driver, the black flag station and Start will ask for a “point”. This means that the stations preceding the black flag station will announce, over the net, that “car # 55 yellow” is at their station and that the black flag station or start can expect him next. During a “black flag procedure” all other stations should maintain radio silence except for an emergency.

Checkered Flag

The checkered flag (black and white checks) tells the driver, “You have finished the race or practice/qualifying session, continue cautiously to the pits”. The checkered flag is usually shown only at Start, but may be shown at other stations during practice sessions to shorten turn around time between groups.

Red Flag

The red flag (solid red) is displayed standing at all stations simultaneously, only at the command of the operating steward via Control. It means “extreme danger, the session is stopped. Come to an immediate, controlled stop at the side of the track and await further instructions”. The red flag is usually displayed when an incident has created a full course blockage to the flow of cars on the race track. Drivers should pull to the edge of the race track to allow for passage of emergency vehicles. Only after all competition vehicles have come to a stop, will drivers be released from a red flag condition by the display of a black flag at all stations, indicating that they should proceed cautiously to the pits. The red flag is not displayed often, but when it is, it must be heeded immediately to prevent further incident. Although it is displayed open and standing, it can be rocked side-to-side to catch the driver’s attention. In FIA and North American Unified Flag rules (at Pro events) the red flag is displayed waving, and has the same meaning as the “black flag all” flag condition in SCCA club rules. Thus at a Pro event, there is no way to stop all race traffic on the track.

Multiple Flags

Multiple flags can be displayed at the same station to convey complex course conditions and situations to the drivers. It is not unusual to see a waved yellow and a stationary surface flag at the same corner. There could also be a white flag shown at the same station. However, since a yellow flag implies “no passing” a yellow and blue flag will NEVER be shown at the same station.

In closing, a few comments on the mechanics of holding and displaying a flag. First of all, when the flag is not being displayed it is kept tucked under the corner worker’s arm to “hide” it from the view of the drivers. The drivers should only see a flag that is meant to be shown. To display a “standing “flag it is important to show as much of the colored surface of the flag to the oncoming drivers. For this reason the staff (stick) of the flag is usually held in the dominant hand and the free edge of the cloth of the flag in the non-dominant hand. With tension on the flag in this manner, the full surface of the flag can be displayed at right angles to the oncoming race traffic. This technique also prevents the wind from waving the flag or changing the angle of presentation to the drivers. A waved flag is best held with one hand at the junction of the cloth and shaft. This gives a better balance to the flag and makes it easier to wave for long periods. Remember to wave the flag BIG! Big motion catches the driver’s eye and leaves no doubt that you are displaying a waved flag. Drivers also see how much vigor you are putting into waving a flag and sense the urgency of the situation based on your body language. With the yellow flagger waving the flag vigorously and the other workers on the station motioning the drivers to slow down or keep to one side of the track, the message gets across. Remember at the beginning of this article I said that the flags are the only way we have of communicating with the drivers. While true, we can also shout with a flag or a fire bottle, depending on how we show it.

It is of paramount importance that the communication that we have with the drivers is accurate and consistent. Everyone needs to be flagging from the same set of rules. Those rules, and any changes to them, such as for a Pro event, will be discussed at the morning flag meeting. There is no place for, “I know that the rule book says this, but in this situation I like to do that”. If our flagging is accurate and consistent, the flag will be obeyed; if not, they will be ignored. The fable of the “boy who cried wolf” comes to mind. Next time we will discuss communication between corner workers and Control.

Wanna Flag? Part 6 - Communications - The "C" of F&C

This article is the sixth and final installment in the irregular "Wanna Flag?" series of articles. We've covered the "F" in F&C, and now we're going to cover the "C" in F&C - Communications.

Communications tie the whole race together. There are communications among flaggers on station, between flaggers and drivers, and between flaggers and Race Control. These communications lead to communications between the Control Operator in Race Control and the Operating Steward, which in turn lead to communications between the Steward and a whole lot of other people - Pit Lane, Grid, Chief Steward, Safety Steward, Black Flag Steward, Timing and Scoring, Registration, Race Chair - you name it! As a flagger on station, you may sometimes feel that your call disappears into a black box. In this article, we'll cover what types of calls should be made to Race Control, how they should be made (and why), phone etiquette, what happens in Race Control after you make your call, and some special situations requiring radio silence (and why).

In New England Region, we use two-way radios for communication. Each station has a radio with which it can communicate with Race Control or another station. The person on station wearing the radio and headset is called the communicator. The communicator must locate himself or herself with a view of the entire sector for which his or her station is responsible. (A sector is the area from one station to the next station down the track.) The communicator never leaves the phones unless relieved by another marshal.

All stations listen in on all the traffic on the "net" on their radios. Some regions use land lines depending on the track at which the event is taking place. A land line is a hard-wired communication system, like a telephone, with advantages and disadvantages compared to FM radios. Usually, the quality of the audio transmission on a land line is superior to FM radio, and more than one person can talk at the same time (like a party line). This is advantageous when you have an emergency to report and another speaker is talking about something routine on the "net". The caller with the emergency can simply interrupt to get the more important information to Race Control, whereas with the FM radio, the caller with the emergency has to wait for the other caller to end his or her transmission before he or she can speak. We will talk more about this when we discuss "phone etiquette".

One disadvantage of the land line is that you are tethered to the junction box by the phone cord, which can severely limit your range. However, in most cases, even when using FM radios, the communicator remains on station regardless of what is happening. Another disadvantage of a land line is that during an electrical storm it can become a shock hazard and may have to be shut down. The entire system could also be damaged by a direct lightning strike. FM radio gives the communicator complete freedom of movement, without any wires in which to become entangled. However, radio reception may not be as clear as on the land line and is subject to interference from other radio sources or atmospheric conditions. It is important that the communicator keep the radio and headset dry in inclement weather. The strength of transmission can be influenced by battery condition and local topography, such as adjacent metal structures (e.g. guard rails and chain link fencing). Also it is necessary to key the microphone and wait for the radio frequency carrier to come up before making a call. If you forget to wait this second, the first word of your transmission will be chopped off. A good idea is to put in a "throw-away word", such as saying "control" twice ("Control, Control"), at the beginning of a transmission, so that if it does get cut off, no important information will be lost. With practice, pausing briefly between keying the microphone and speaking becomes automatic. In systems where a repeater is used, a longer pause will be required for the repeater carrier to come up.

Race Control usually operates from a base station. This is a stationary radio unit, powered by AC line current, and putting out a lot more watts of power transmission than the battery powered, hand-held units on each station. Race Control is usually located in the operations tower and the base station may use an external antenna, which can also improve transmission. For obvious reasons, it is important for Race Control to have a strong radio signal that can get out to every station and be heard clearly.

In the Control tower, the F&C Control Operator uses the base station to communicate with all of the corner stations. Sitting next to the Control Operator is the Operating Steward, who is in charge of all the decision-making for what happens on track during a given event. Sitting on the other side of the Control Operator is another member of the F&C team, the recorder (or logger), who writes down, in a permanent log, all of the radio transmissions which come in over the net. The log includes the time of the call, the station calling, the station's flag condition when the call was made, the car number, color and class, and a brief description of what happened. This is referred to as "control log format". Accurate record keeping is important because the information may be requested by the Operating Steward or for a protest. These records are kept permanently. We try to get new flaggers up to Race Control to act as recorders early in their training to teach them the importance of making a brief, accurate and concise call. There is no better way to learn this than to have to write out all the long-winded calls that one's fellow flaggers are making!

Sitting on the other side of the Operating Steward is the Backup Operating Steward, who communicates with third parties, as necessary, during a session. For instance, if there is a car with no brake lights, the Backup Operating Steward will call the Black Flag Steward and ask him or her to speak to the driver of the car when he or she comes in off track.

The first thing that the Control Operator does each day is a "course check". A course check is also performed before each new race group goes out on track. The purpose of a course check is to get a "snapshot" of the entire track, in order to assess readiness to put cars on course. On a course check, the communicator at each station calls in, in numerical order, the condition of his or her station. Usually that condition is "clear, manned and ready". However, if there is a worker on track checking the condition of the racing surface, or a rescue vehicle on site moving a vehicle from the previous session, then that station is not clear and that information should be communicated to Control. The course check tells the Control Operator and the Operating Steward when each station has a clear track and is ready to accept race traffic. The Starter, Emergency and Fire/Rescue personnel, wreckers and ambulances are sometimes part of the course check, depending on the track.

On each corner, it is the responsibility of the station communicator to accurately convey to Race Control information regarding anything that happens in that station's sector. The communicator calls in such things as mechanical problems, driver problems, spins, drive-offs, impacts or something on the track. He or she is also responsible for relaying information and instructions from Race Control to the station captain and co-workers. It is important to note that at no time should personal, private or disparaging information be communicated over the radio. This includes the medical condition of the driver in an incident (other than "OK" or "needs Medical"). It includes any comments which do not directly pertain to the event on track. The radio communications can be (and are) monitored by anyone who is interested, such as crew and spectators. Always use care in what you say and how you say it.

Under ideal circumstances, the communicator uses a headset with attached microphone that allows him or her to hear clearly what is being said on the net over the noise created by the passing race cars. NER radios also have the advantage of "noise-canceling" microphones to minimize the noise of passing cars and allow the voice of the communicator to be clearly heard by Race Control. However, how well Race Control understands the call from a given station depends not only on the sophistication of the radio equipment, but also on how well the call is made.

Each station is supplied with a packet containing paper and pens or pencils. In New England Region, the paper supplied is a "Corner Log" which is identical to the "Control Log" used by the recorder in Race Control. Using the Corner Log, the communicator writes down all the available information regarding the incident in the proper sequence before making the call. The Corner Logs are discarded at the end of the day, but they serve at least two very useful functions in their short lifespan. The first is that all the information is written down in the proper format before a call is made, allowing the communicator to make a concise, accurate and brief call. The communicator may need to confer with other flaggers on his or her station to obtain some or all of the information for the call, which he or she should write on the Corner Log. This way, if the net is tied up with another call or if Race Control asks him or her to hold the call, the information can be called in at any time, without having to depend on anyone's memory. Second, if a write-up is requested by Race Control, the incident has been written down while it is still fresh and detailed in everyone's mind, again eliminating that memory problem. It is also possible that Race Control may call the station back at a later time and ask for something in an earlier call to be verified.

Calls to Race Control should give the information in the sequence it is recorded by the logger: station calling, flag condition, car number, car color, car class and what happened. By convention, car numbers are given as single digits (Car 44 = Car four-four) but stations are given as numbers (Station 11 = Station eleven). Other than for an emergency, there is no reason why a call cannot be delayed, especially when it means that it will be a more accurate and concise call. It is better to wait until the incident is completed and cleared before making the call, rather than give a long-winded, play-by-play account and needlessly tie up the net. For instance when a car spins and stops, wait a few moments to see if the car continues before making the call. Try to avoid making calls in "real time" whenever possible. It is also important that after the communicator calls in with the station number and flag condition that he or she wait to be acknowledged by Race Control before continuing. Never continue a call without being acknowledged by Race Control, even in an emergency. This acknowledgement ensures that Race Control hears you and that they are ready to take your call. If it is a routine call, the Operating Steward may be busy with a matter not apparent to the communicator, and may request that a call be held until he or she is ready. In this case, after the communicator says "Control this is Station 6, no flag", Race Control will respond by saying "Wait one, Station 6". The lack of a flag condition at Station 6 indicates this is a routine call, and Race Control will come back to Station 6 when the Operating Steward is ready to hear the call.

The Operating Steward is interested in all incidents on the track, but is particularly interested in those which affect driver/worker/spectator safety or interfere with the running of the day's busy race schedule. Therefore, incidents such as a car spinning off the racing surface and continuing back on track without hitting anything do not require a detailed description of how exhilarating it was to watch the driver deal with his or her spinning car. No action or decision will be made by the Operating Steward regarding that spin if the car regains the track and continues. It is important to have that incident recorded in the control log as part of the official record, but any details are superfluous and unnecessary. It is enough to say: "Control, control, this is Station 11, no flag." Race Control will respond: "Go ahead 11". The station 11 communicator then replies: "Car nine-four, red, Spec Miata, spun driver's left, at the apex, and continued". Giving the flag condition first is important because it immediately tells Race Control the severity of what is happening. In the above case saying "no flag" tells everyone the incident is over, that a yellow flag, either stationary or waving, is no longer required and that the course is clear. If the spinning car had brought dirt or gravel back onto the track during re-entry, the communicator might have described the flag condition as "surface" or "debris". In that case the Control Operator might ask for more information, such as the nature of the debris and for how many laps the station intends to hold the debris flag. It also helps to say to which side of the track a car spun. Is the car before, at, or after the apex of the turn, or alternatively at the entrance or exit of a corner? As a convention, we always refer to the side of the track from the driver's perspective when going race direction on course (driver's right or driver’s left). Since, theoretically, those in the control tower cannot see the track, it is important to give the Operating Steward enough information for him or her to form a mental image of what just happened at your corner. Likewise, it is important to withhold extraneous information which would tie up the net, preventing a more important call from being made. If you have a bona fide lengthy call to make, break it into smaller transmissions by saying "break" at the end of each two or three second phrase, and pause your transmission for a few seconds. This lets the control operator know that you have more to say, but gives an opportunity for another station with an emergency to break in. If no one breaks in, continue your call.

Let's look at a different scenario with the same car when this time the car spins off the track, impacts the guard rail and sustains damage to the right front wheel that prevents the car from continuing. This time the communicator should make the call: "Control, control, this is Station 11, standing yellow". Right away, everyone in Race Control, as well as other communicators on the net, is alerted by the yellow flag condition. We now all know that something has happened at Station 11, and although it may have begun on the track it is now off the racing surface, as indicated by the stationary (standing) yellow flag. Race Control acknowledges the call by saying: "Go ahead 11". This time Station 11 replies: "Car nine-four, red, Spec Miata, spun driver's left and impacted the guard rail. He has damage to the right front wheel and will need a wrecker". This concise call gives Race Control a lot of important information that will require decisions to be made by the Operating Steward. We know that this car is not going to drive away and re-enter the course. There has been sufficient impact to damage the car, enough to require a wrecker for removal. In order to get more information to assist the Operating Steward in decision making, the Control Operator will ask: "Station 11, is the car in a safe location? What is the condition of your driver?" In fact, these two additional pieces of information will always be requested, and you can save time on the net by including them in your initial call.

The Operating Steward is now weighing all the possibilities. A wrecker will be needed to move the car. Is the car in a safe or dangerous location? Can it be left in that location until the end of the session? Will Medical need to be dispatched to evaluate the driver? The communicator may then say: "The driver indicates that she is OK. The car is in an unsafe location. I need a wrecker now! Please send Medical to evaluate the driver anyway. She made a pretty hard impact into the guard rail, and I think that she should be checked". To which the Control Operator replies: "Thank you 11", indicating that the information has been received and thanking the communicator for a concise call.

Now the Operating Steward has the information necessary to make good decisions. He or she must decide whether to remove the damaged car and a possibly injured driver under a local yellow condition or to go "full course yellow", put out the safety car, get control of all race traffic behind the safety car and then, under controlled conditions, dispatch the wrecker and medical personnel to deal with the incident. The ability to make the appropriate decision depends on the quality of the information transmitted by the station communicator. You can see from this example what information the Operating Steward needs and why, and with experience you will anticipate what information the Operating Steward will need with each incident.

After receiving instructions from the Operating Steward, the Control Operator may then say: "Control to all stations, double yellow, double yellow all stations". The command from Race Control is repeated to be sure that all stations have heard it. During this time other stations should hold their calls until the incident is resolved. This prevents interruption of commands from Race Control during management of the incident. Control may request additional detailed information from Station 11 regarding the incident, such as whether or not there was contact with another car prior to the spin off.

Let us now increase the severity of the incident at Station 11 and see how the communication is handled. This time Car 94 makes contact with another car, goes off the road at high speed, impacts the guardrail with great force and flips over, coming to rest on its roof, blocking half the width of the track. Now the call from Station 11 should be: "Emergency at 11, emergency at 11. Station 10 go yellow". Notice "emergency" was repeated to make sure that Race Control and all other stations on the net, including Emergency Services and Medical have heard it. Once an "emergency", "alert" or "priority" call has been made several things happen. First, you certainly have the undivided attention of everyone in Race Control. Radio silence is established, except for information related to the emergency. Stations with other calls will hold their calls until the emergency has been downgraded and Race Control asks for held calls. Communicators who forget this important rule will be asked by Race Control to hold all calls unless they have another (different) emergency. Emergency Services and Medical will "stand up" and be ready to dispatch on command from the Operating Steward via the Control Operator. Station 10, up-track from the scene of the incident, will display a "back up" yellow flag to warn on-coming traffic well in advance of the incident.

When should a call be an "emergency"? Hard (high-speed) impact of a car with anything (another car, wall, concrete barrier, guard rail), a car which rolls over, a car on fire, a car which goes out of sight off the track, and a worker down all necessitate emergency calls. Learn these so you are ready to call an emergency when there is one in your sector!

Continuing on with our scenario, after the emergency call is made, Race Control replies: "Go ahead 11". To which Station 11 replies: "Control this is Station 11, waving yellow. Car nine-four, red, Spec Miata, spun to driver's left, after contact with car three-five white. Car nine-four made hard impact into the guard rail and is upside down, on the left side of the track. I have 50% track blockage. Worker responding. Will advise". Now we really have a lot of important information, none of which is superfluous. The station communicator has informed the Operating Steward that the track is 50% blocked, increasing the likelihood that the Steward will call for a full course yellow, and put out the safety car to get the rest of the competitors under control. Then, Emergency Services will have to be dispatched to deal with this incident. Given the nature of the impact and subsequent roll-over, everyone is concerned about the condition of the driver. The fact that a worker is responding means that additional information about the driver will be forthcoming. At this point, the least important bit of information is the contact with Car 35 white. However, other stations will be looking to see if Car 35 white continued and if there is any significant damage to that car. Other flaggers will make notes about what they saw of the incident for when more details are requested by Race Control.

The Control Operator, at the request of the Operating Steward, says: "Control to all stations, full course yellow, double yellow at all stations. Safety car is entering the course. EVs are entering the course. Please cover with the appropriate flags". Emergency vehicles (EVs) moving on track are "covered" by a stationary white flag at the station in whose sector the EVs are moving as well as by the preceding station. In order for the preceding station to know that they need to display a white flag, the station in whose sector the EVs are moving says very briefly on the net, "Station One is white for EVs". This lets Start know to display a white flag, and lets Station 2 know that they will soon have to do the same. When the EVs get to Station 2, the station communicator will say, “Two is white”. Start will know that they can now drop their white flag. Station 3 will be getting ready to display their white flag, and so it will continue around the course until the EVs get to the site of the incident at Station 11. Calling EVs around with white flags is an acceptable interruption of the radio silence imposed by the original emergency call. Each call is very brief and lets Control know that the EVs are progressing to the site of the incident.

Now the communicator at Station 11 says: "Control, this is 11, waving yellow, update". Control says: "Go ahead 11", Station 11 then reports: "My outpost worker signals that the driver is OK. She is requesting help to remove the driver from the overturned car. I have information about the metal-to-metal contact when you want it". It is important to know that the driver is apparently OK. It is good that the worker on the scene is requesting help to remove the driver. The emergency team and extrication personnel are expert in doing this and can prevent additional injury to a driver trying to get out of an overturned car. Now that the emergency personnel are on the scene, they will take charge of removing the driver from the car. Depending on the severity or complicated nature of the situation, the emergency team may elect to change their radio communication to a different channel (radio frequency). Not only does this provide them with a private channel to conduct their work, but also it frees up the regular F&C net for more mundane matters. Once emergency personnel are on the scene and have the incident under control, the emergency status can be downgraded.

Initiated by the station, or from a prompt by Race Control, the station communicator says: "Downgrade emergency". If there is serious injury to a driver, then it is up to the Emergency Services personnel to decide when to downgrade the emergency status. Once downgraded, the net is freed up for regular F&C radio traffic. Race Control makes it official by asking for "held calls". This is the opportunity for stations that have been holding calls about passing under yellow or metal-to-metal contact to call in. Details about the contact between the cars involved in the incident will be requested by Race Control from Station 11. Progress reports on the clean up of the incident at Station 11 can now be made. Instructions from Race Control about the resumption of the race can also be made.

An emergency is one situation which requires radio silence. Other situations requiring radio silence are black flag and mechanical black flag operations. Black flags are shown only at the designated black flag station (Station 5 at NHIS and Station 7 at LRP) and at Start/Finish. Once Race Control has requested that a black flag be displayed to a particular car, all stations, except those designated as "point stations", must maintain radio silence until that car has entered the pits. "Point" stations, that is, the stations before the designated black flag station and before Start, point out the car to be black flagged to the black flag station before the car is about to reach them. The car number and color, as well as the relation to other cars nearby on the track, make it easier to pick up and display the black flag and number board to the correct driver. As an example, using the case of an open black flag displayed from Station 5 and Start/Finish to a driver at NHIS, the radio transmissions will sound like this:

Race Control: "Control to Start and Station 5, please display an open back flag to car six-six, blue. Stations 3 and 11, you are point."

Start: "Start copies, open black flag, six-six, blue."

Station 5: "5 copies."

Station 3: "3 copies."

Station 11: "11 copies."

Station 3: "Car six-six, blue, by 3, last of three cars."

Station 5: "Six-six, blue, driver acknowledged black flag."

Station 11: "Car six-six, blue, entering the pits."

Race Control: "Thank you, Station 5. Thank you Station 11. Are there any held calls?"

When instructed by Race Control to display a black or mechanical black flag, the communicator on the black flag station should confirm the command, the car number and color. Confirming also repeats the information for the point stations. Asking for any held calls after the car enters the pits opens the net back up to routine F&C traffic.

The reason for radio silence during a black flag procedure is obvious. The car can be located and identified for the black flag station without having to wait for a call on the net to finish, thereby delaying the black flag. Radio silence is required at the beginning and end of the race for similar reasons.

We ask for silence during the pace lap and the first green flag (racing) lap except for emergencies or matters that will affect the start or continuation of the race. Radio silence allows these important calls to be made without having to wait for an opening on the net. The exception to this is pack reports, if requested by the Starter, from the stations immediately preceding Start/Finish. Radio silence is also required during the last lap of the race so the leader can be called around by each station for Start to show the checkered flag.

This brings us to one last form of communication for the F&C worker - the written incident report. Requests for formal, written reports regarding metal-to-metal contact and passing under yellow may be requested by Race Control. If you see something that you think might need to be put in a written report, write notes for your own reference. Written reports will be requested by Race Control at the direction of the Operating Steward. The "Pass Under Yellow" and "Witness Statement" forms are found in the corner packet, along with the Corner Logs. It is important when filling out these statements to write legibly. Describe what you witnessed, and only what you saw. Do not assess blame; that is the job for the Stewards committee, based on the facts that you provide. On the back of the form is a place for a diagram to further clarify what you witnessed. Be definitive in what you describe. Avoid wishy-washy preambles and assumptions like "I think I saw…" or "the driver of car XX probably…". You either saw it or you didn’t. Keep your description brief and to the point. Remember, writing a good witness statement is another form of clear communication.

In conclusion, let us review several points about proper phone etiquette. Always state your station number and flag condition and then wait to be acknowledged by Race Control before proceeding with your call. Put in a "throw-away word" at the beginning of your transmission. Always give your call in the control log format. Give car numbers as single digits (Car 44 would be four-four) and station and other numbers normally (Station eleven, not Station one-one). Repeat "emergency" or "alert" in your call to make sure that you have been heard. Do not give sensitive or personal information over the net. Keep your calls BRIEF! Do not tie up the net with long-winded oratory or casual conversation. Observe radio silence during black flag procedures, during the pace lap, first and last laps of a race, and when an emergency has been called, or any other time when what you hear on the net seems more important than the call you are about to make.

The communicator should give the Control Operator the information the Operating Steward needs to make the decision that the corner captain wants him or her to make.

What we don't want here is a failure to communicate!

New Procedure for SCCA F&C License Renewal Clarified
F&C Worker Log Cards Will Not Be Required for Renewals

The National SCCA Licensing Office in Topeka has changed the procedure for volunteer worker license renewal. The new license renewal paper work no longer requires members to submit a worker log card for license renewal. The participation requirement for license renewal for F&C workers has not changed; it is still six days to maintain a Divisional license and eight days to maintain a National license. Satisfaction of the participation requirement for license renewal is the responsibility of the individual license holder on an honor system basis.

The National Licensing Office in Topeka will send, as a monthly report to each Divisional Administrator, a list of those workers, in that division, who will be coming up for renewal. This list will be sent two months in advance of the renewal date. I will forward a list of the up-coming renewals to each of the NEDiv flag chiefs for their input.

Although blank log cards will no longer be supplied with your renewed license, the National Office will continue to print these cards and make them available to the flag chiefs, upon request and free of charge, for distribution among their workers. Workers wanting to keep a personal record of events worked, or those interested in a license upgrade are encouraged to keep a log card.

This procedure applies to NEDiv F&C license renewals only. For F&C license upgrades please go to “License Upgrade Guidelines, Flagging and Communications, Northeast Division, SCCA”, on the NESCCA web site.

All F&C workers are encouraged to visit the NESCCA web site for up-to-date- information on what is happening in NEDiv. http://www.nescca.com

Richard McCormack
Divisional Administrator for F&C
Northeast Division SCCA
P. O. Box 77
Craryville, NY 12521
nedivflags@fairpoint.net

Clarification added July 8, 2007.

* F&C Manual (PDF - 2.9 MG) *

F & C Licensing

NEW VOLUNTEER LICENSING RENEWAL PROCESS
(from Terry Ozment – Director, Club Racing)

A new Volunteer License Renewal process will take effect April 1st, 2007. The change is intended to:

Make it easier for our volunteers to renew their specialty licenses

Enable the membership/license card to be mailed once

Provide the Specialty Divisional Administrators with more direct involvement in the renewal process of the volunteers they represent

Starting April 1, 2007, Divisional Administrators of our Volunteer Specialties will be sent a monthly Excel file of all the licensees in their specialty and division that will be up for renewal 60 days out (for example, April’s mailing will be for June renewals). If the DA does not want any of the licensees to be renewed at their current level, the DA must notify both the volunteer involved and SCCA Member Services of their decision. SCCA Member Services will process the license per the direction of the DA. If the DA does not indicate any issues, the remaining licenses will be renewed as soon as the volunteer sends in their membership renewal request (the form is being updated to explain the license program on one side and space for upgrade requests on the back for DA approval).

There is no change in the participation requirements for renewal (6 days for a Divisional License renewal, 8 days for a National License renewal), and there is no change to the license upgrade process which will still require DA approval.

License Upgrade Guidelines

Flagging and Communications
Northeast Division SCCA
(Revised 1/2009)

These guidelines apply only to license upgrade. License renewal requirements are clearly outlined on the license renewal form and on the SCCA web site, and will not be addressed here.

A request for upgrade is initiated by the worker filling out the “SCCA Officials License Upgrade” form and submitting it to the flag chief with a log of SCCA events worked in the last 12 months. This form is on the back page of your annual license renewal form. It can also be printed from the “Forms” section within the “Club Racing” section of the national SCCA website at http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Forms/form-raceofficial.pdf. Because the upgrade process can take several months, you are advised to renew your present grade license promptly and then submit a request for an upgrade as a separate application. This way you won’t be caught without a valid SCCA license. All license upgrades must be approved by the Regional and Divisional Administrators of the specialty. Your flag chief (Regional Administrator) will forward your completed form and log to the Divisional Administrator for F&C along with an evaluation of your performance. Recommendations for license upgrade are made by your flag chief after a thorough review of your past performance, and after consultation with a panel of nationally licensed NER flaggers who are familiar with your work. The final approval regarding a license upgrade for this specialty lies with the F&C Divisional Administrator (NEDiv). If you are considering an upgrade this year, please notify your Chief of Flagging and Communications as soon as possible to allow adequate time to observe your work during the coming season. Visit your regional web site for contact information.

Regional and Divisional licenses are defined by the SCCA National Office in its publication, “Race Official Licensing Guidelines” (May 29, 2003) as follows:

Regional License

“This license is issued to all new members entering a specialty. It is the license grade held while training and developing the skills required by the specialty. The officials will become moderately proficient in the core competencies outlined in the specialty's Operating Manual. It is recommended that a Regional license be held for a minimum of two years with active participation. However, an individual demonstrating outstanding ability and progress may be upgraded early. Likewise an upgrade from Regional is not an entitlement, and should depend on the worker’s proficiency in the area as well as dedication to the specialty.”

Divisional License

“The Divisional License grade is considered the "Standard of the Industry" and represents recognition of accomplishment within the specialty. The Divisional license holders will refine their basic core competencies as outlined in that specialty's Operating Manual. The license holders will learn advanced skills and begin training in the managerial and administrative aspects of the specialty. The license holders will be competent in all non-managerial / non-administrative phases of the specialty.”

The Divisional license holder should be able to travel to any SCCA event at any track and ably perform the duties of his or her specialty. The Divisional license holder should be flexible and trained well enough to adapt to the standards and procedures of the region or sanctioning body for any event they attend. To that end, the benefit of having a Divisional license is that the abilities of the worker are generally accepted at face value without input from the Regional Administrator. In some instances, a form may need to be submitted outlining your experience in order to be selected for high level/high profile (e.g. Pro) events. Always remember that a flagger working out of region is an ambassador for his/her region and reflects the training and attitudes of that home region.

In NEDiv, a Regional to Divisional license upgrade applicant should meet the following criteria:

Two years of active participation as a regional license holder is highly recommended, however upgrades may be considered earlier based on outstanding ability and achievement, at the discretion of the Regional Administrator. A minimum of 12 days participation at SCCA events is required. Training sessions, such as flag & fire schools, will apply. All days must be SCCA events or training sessions. No other events will apply.

Demonstrate mastery of the flags and their uses.

Demonstrate knowledge of SCCA regulations as they apply to our specialty.

Know the responsibilities and procedures for each position on a corner, including station set-up, safety concerns, responding to incidents, etc.

Demonstrate all of the basic hand signals as outlined in the F&C flagging manual.

Upon satisfaction of the above criteria, completion of the “SCCA Officials License Upgrade” form, and review by a panel of nationally licensed flaggers in your region, a recommendation for upgrade from Regional to Divisional status will be forwarded to the Divisional Administrator for F&C. The approval process may take several months.

For upgrades from Divisional to National status it is instructive to review the SCCA National Office definition of a National grade license:

National License

”The National license is issued to officials who progress beyond the typical qualifications and accept the responsibilities of leadership. The license holders will demonstrate advanced general expertise in the specialty. The National license holders will have the knowledge to perform the managerial /administrative functions of the specialty including training and serving as the chief of an event. National license holders are expected to share their knowledge with new workers.”

A National license holder should be able to attend any event at any track and ably perform, and lead others in the performance of, the duties of the specialty. A National license holder must be adaptable and well trained, and should be able to perform at any Pro event promoted by SCCA as well as other sanctioning bodies (IMSA, FIA, Grand Am, etc.). The National license holder is expected to take on a leadership role within his or her region.

In NEDiv, the National license upgrade applicant should meet the following criteria:

Have been a Divisional license holder for at least one year.

Attend a minimum of 8 days at SCCA events within the past year, which should, if possible, include at least 6 days at events sanctioned by your local region(s). Training sessions, such as flag & fire schools, will apply.

Demonstrate a mastery of advanced flagging and communications skills.

Demonstrate knowledge of the responsibilities and procedures for setting up and operating a corner station by having functioned, independently or with supervision, as a corner captain.

Perform satisfactorily as a control operator under the direction of your flag chief for at least one day during the previous year.

Demonstrate the willingness and capability to take on higher levels of responsibility, including recruiting and teaching new flaggers.

Demonstrate a working knowledge of the operation of an SCCA Road Race event, including the responsibilities of the various officials.

Upon satisfactorily meeting the above criteria, completion of the “SCCA Officials License Upgrade” form, and review by a regional panel of nationally licensed flaggers, a recommendation for upgrade from Divisional to National will be forwarded by the flag chief to the Divisional Administrator for F&C. The approval process may take several months.

If you are requesting a license upgrade this year, please consider the following:

Notify your flag chief as soon as possible, so that your skills and proficiency can be observed.

Renew your present license independently of your request for upgrade to prevent renewal delays.

Consider getting a copy of the SCCA F&C Manual - down load from http://www.ner.org/sites/ner.org/files/scca_F-Cmanual.pdf

For more F&C Info, contact Richard "Mack" McCormack, F&C DA.

Last updated 2/2/09.