Responsibilities of the Rail Gun Team
Note: All members of the team present at a firing have the ability and responsibility to call a cease fire at any time.
Positions
While many people can be present during the firing of the rail gun, there should as a minimum be two people, one designated the Firing Director and the other the Safety Officer. These two positions are to be appointed prior to the firing of the rail gun. The Firing Director is responsible for the set-up and firing of the rail gun, while the Safety Officer is responsible for the safety of the firing. In the likely event that more than two people are present at a firing, more positions are available. The specifics of each position are detailed below.
Firing Director
The Firing Director (FD) is ultimately in charge of the rail gun firing. More specifically, the FD is responsible for the set up of the rail gun, including but not limited to the aiming, the wiring, the gas injection system and anything else that is necessary for the rail gun to fire. In the event that only two people are present to fire the rail gun, the FD is also responsible for data collection. The FD is also the only person who can fire the rail gun, and as such will control the power distribution box and firing command system. The FD is also the leader of the team during firing, so is able to give any directions necessary for the proper firing of the rail gun as long as these directions do not impose a safety hazard. As part of this, the FD can assign new positions as needed. At any point, the FD can call a cease fire.
Safety Officer
The Safety Officer (SO) is responsible for the safety aspect of the firing. This includes but is not limited to properly announcing a rail gun firing; insuring all safety equipment (ear and eye protection) is worn during the firing, and deciding if the rail gun is safe to be worked on. The SO is also responsible for stopping any firing if a cease fire is called for. As such, the SO will control the discharge box and be able to toggle the arm switch for the rail gun fire command system. This means that the FD and SO must both agree for the rail gun to be fired for it to be possible to fire. The SO must agree with the FD before allowing anyone to approach the rail gun at any point during a firing. If status lights are used, the SO is responsible for changing the status. At any point, the SO can call a cease fire.
Data Recorder
If more than two people are at a firing, a third position, Data Recorder (DR) is available. The DR is responsible for connecting the data recording equipment and recording data during the firing of the rail gun. During the firing the DR runs the computer, cameras and other systems that record data. This essentially breaks the firing into three sets of responsibilities: The FD controls the actual rail gun, the SO regulates the movements of people around the rail gun and the DR is responsible for the instruments monitoring the rail gun. If only two people are at a firing, the responsibility of the DR is passed to the FD, who can then delegate responsibilities to the SO as needed. At any point, the DR can call a cease fire.
Operations Overseer
Like the DR, the Operations Overseer (OO) is a position that can be filled if extra people are present at a firing. The OO is responsible for reading the checklist and insuring it is followed. The OO is also responsible for making necessary changes to the procedure and noting any deviations from the firing procedure. If only two people are present the responsibilities of the OO are passed to the FD, who can delegate to the SO as he or she sees fit. At any point, the OO can call a cease fire.
Other Members
Beyond three people, any additional personnel will be assigned jobs at the discretion of the FD as needed. Any duty performed by any member of the firing team needs to be approved by the FD and SO, and in the case of data collection also needs to be approved by the DR, if applicable. At any point, any member of the firing team can call a cease fire.