Pyrotechnician (Weird Careers in Science)

Pyrotechnician

WEIRD CAREERS IN SCIENCE

Animal Therapist Astrobiologist Computer Game Developer Pyrotechnician SETI Scientist Virus Hunter Volcanologist

Pyrotechnician

Mary Firestone

CHELSEA HOUSE PUBLISHERS

VP, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Sally Cheney DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Kim Shinners CREATIVE MANAGER Takeshi Takahashi MANUFACTURING MANAGER Diann Grasse SERIES DESIGNER Takeshi Takahashi COVER DESIGNER Takeshi Takahashi STAFF

FOR

PYROTECHNICIAN

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Ladybug Editorial and Design DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Tara Koellhoffer LAYOUT Gary Koellhoffer ©2006 by Chelsea House Publishers, a subsidiary of Haights Cross Communications. All rights reserved. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

www.chelseahouse.com First Printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Firestone, Mary. Pyrotechnicians / Mary Firestone. p. cm. — (Weird careers in science) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7910-8703-4 1. Pyrotechnists—Juvenile literature. 2. Fireworks—History—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. TP300.F57 2005 662’.1’023—dc22 2005012078

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction

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2 The History of Fireworks

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3 What Is a Pyrotechnician?

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4 Types of Fireworks

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5 What Do Pyrotechnicians Do?

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6 The Science of Fireworks

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7 Tools of the Pyrotechnician

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8 Becoming a Pyrotechnician

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Glossary

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Bibliography

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Further Reading

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Index

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Chapter

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Introduction PYROTECHNICIAN ERNIE SIMMONS and his crew have loaded

two tons of fireworks into mortars, which stand in rows in New York City’s Central Park. It has taken several days to set up this New Year’s Eve display in New York, a city famous for its New Year’s celebrations. But this event will be more spectacular than any other. Simmons and his fellow pyrotechnicians, all from Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, are about to launch the millennium celebration from several key New York locations: Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Central Park (Manhattan) and Prospect Park (Brooklyn). All five places will light up at once,

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Figure 1.1 New York City put on an impressive fireworks display to celebrate the start of the year 2000.

Introduction with 10,000 fireworks set off at the same time from a single firing station located in Central Park (Figure 1.1). Earlier in the day, pyrotechnicians set up computers at the firing station, which contain the choreography and firing instructions. Wires were hooked up to fuses leading to the display area. Using walkie-talkies, the technicians communicated the countdown and got themselves ready for the firing of thousands of shells. At the stroke of midnight, the black New York sky exploded with dazzling lights and vibrating booms from the shockingly powerful salutes. For the pyrotechnician, the 15-minute show is the middle of the workday. While the crowds are leaving, the crew waits for a while before beginning to tear down the displays. When the members of the crew are sure that all the shells have exploded, they begin the process of reloading. Each mortar goes back on the truck. The crew members

The Fireworks Towers For two weeks in March, the Mexican city of Tultepec is the place to be for watching fireworks. Mexican pyrotechnicians create fireworks towers known as castillos, a tradition in Mexican fireworks making. Castillos can be up to 140 feet (43 meters) high, displaying spinning fireworks images of animals and other shapes that captivate audiences. The two-week festival was started to honor San Juan de Dios, the patron saint of Tultepec. It includes a parade of giant puppets, a statue of San Juan de Dios, and an amusement park. The festival is a competition among the best castillo builders. Watch the Tultepec Fireworks at http://homepage.mac.com/manuelrivas/ iMovieTheater35.html.

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Pyrotechnician clean up the exploded shells, clear away the set, and leave the site the way they found it. They are exhausted, and yet they will be happy to do it all over again. They love fireworks for their beauty, their energy, the smell of exploding shells, the responsive crowds, and the sense that they are a part of something larger than life.

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The History of Fireworks AROUND 1000 B.C. in the mountains of western China, tribal

peoples gathered near fires for warmth, meals, and celebrations. Fires burned continuously, and were occasionally left unattended when the tribe went on a hunt. In these ancient times in China, it was common for people to believe in a type of man-beast, called shan. When tribespeople were away on a hunt, they believed shan approached their fires to steal and cook their own food. If caught by the tribespeople, the shan inflicted fevers on their captors. The tribes had many ways to get rid of these shan and other supernatural beings, such as chanting and making animal sac-

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Pyrotechnician rifices. One method, which the Chinese thought was the best, was to throw bamboo in the fire. It had been discovered, probably by accident, that bamboo pieces exploded when they burned. The Chinese believed that these explosions scared away the evil shan. Word got around that bamboo could make noisy explosions, and it became a form of amusement. Weddings, births, and New Year’s celebrations in ancient China began with exploding bamboo. It was believed that these early fireworks not only scared away evil spirits from life’s big events, but also cleared a path for the New Year to come. The term used by the Chinese for bursting bamboo was pao chuk. GUNPOWDER IN CHINA Experts have traced the origins of gunpowder back to the first millennium, when a Chinese chemist mixed together the chemicals sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, and held the mixture over a fire to dry it. The mixture formed a black powder, which exploded into flames when lit, leaving a puff of white smoke behind. Chinese cooks had seen the effects of saltpeter when it was exposed to flames. Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, is a naturally occurring waste created by soil bacteria. It could be easily taken from the soil. When heated, it puffed into smoke and released oxygen gas. With the chemist’s discovery of the “fire chemical” (called huo yao by the Chinese), the first firecracker was not far off. Now, bamboo segments were not just tossed into the fire alone, but were first opened, stuffed with the black powder, and thrown into flames for a more spectacular effect.

The History of Fireworks These early “firecrackers” became an important part of Chinese culture. Alchemists (Figure 2.1) made variations in the sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal mixture to change the explosive effects. They also added other chemicals to produce colored smoke. More saltpeter created a faster-burning fire, which provided a way to make objects explode. The Chinese soon figured out that the fire chemical, gunpowder, could also be used in fighting wars. Around A.D. 1000, the Chinese began to use the powder to make bombs and flaming arrows that could kill and wound people and set enemies and their property on fire.

Figure 2.1 This medieval woodcut illustration shows alchemists making gunpowder.

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Pyrotechnician Later, around 1200, the Chinese began to make firecrackers in a new way. They started to use rolled paper casings instead of bamboo, and added long fuses made of cotton, with a long strip of gunpowder inside. They also created something called a “ground rat.” This was a tube of paper filled with gunpowder, open a bit on one end, so that the exploding gas was released, propelling the tube along the ground. Fins were later added to this design, which helped straighten out its otherwise chaotic path. The ground rat firecracker was the first rocket. Around 1200, firecrackers and explosives of all kinds were spreading throughout the world. In Asia, armies began to create crude cannons and weapons resembling rifles, which used gunpowder to propel and explode bombs. These devices were not very accurate, but they were far better than the bow and arrow in their sheer destructive power. In the 1300s, the Chinese created gunpowder bombs with names like “Dropping from Heaven Bomb,” and “Match for Ten Thousand Enemies Bomb,” and “Bandit-Burning Vision-Confusing Magic Fireball.” Rockets, fire lances (a type of flamethrower), and “erupters” (a kind of cannon) were also developed by the Chinese during this time. An erupter could shoot out a six-foot (two-meter) blast of flame, sprays of metal splinters, broken pieces of porcelain, or bundles of arrows. GUNPOWDER COMES TO EUROPE Roger Bacon, an English friar, wrote the first reference to gunpowder in Europe in 1242, in works he prepared for the pope. According to legend, Bacon was aware of the dangers of gunpowder, and so he wrote the recipe in code. He said

The History of Fireworks even a small firecracker “can make such a noise that it seriously distresses the ears of men. . . . If an instrument of large size were used, no one could stand the terror of the noise and flash. . . .” Around the 1400s, European scientists began to experiment with gunpowder, changing the amounts of the three main ingredients to try to make it as explosive as possible. They eventually figured out that if the mixture contained about 75% saltpeter, 10% sulfur, and 15% charcoal, they could get the best explosive effect. Today, this remains the standard gunpowder mixture, and other chemicals are added to provide special effects. During this time, Europeans also discovered that large quantities of this explosive material could shoot heavy iron balls from cannons. This marked the end of medieval weapons: swords, arrows, armor, and shields. Metal armor and shields could be punctured by bullets, and thick stone fortresses and castle walls would be wrecked in moments with iron balls that exploded from cannons in the distant woods. Cannonballs became even more effective with new designs, which included filling them with gunpowder and shards of metal, causing deadly explosions. Each kingdom in Asia and Europe had its own factory for producing gunpowder. These factories were called powderworks. Grinding the chemicals into powder was an important part of the process. To do this, these early factories used mules and running water to create the necessary force for moving large stones that ground the chemicals into the desired texture, to make them more explosive. Occasionally, a powderworks would explode because friction could cause sparks to fly from the grinding wheel, setting off the chemicals.

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Pyrotechnician EUROPEAN FIREWORKS During the European Renaissance, around 1400–1600, gunpowder was common, and the use of fireworks spread. In Europe, fireworks were first used as a form of celebration after winning a war. Fireworks were also becoming a new kind of artistic expression. In Siena, Italy, theatrical shows included masks stuffed with small pockets of gunpowder, which created exploding eyes and mouths for dramatic performances. The celebration of the marriage of England’s King Henry VIII to his second wife, Anne Boleyn, included a huge fire-breathing dragon that spewed smoke and flames as it floated on a barge past the royal couple. Artisans known as firemasters created fire temples that could reach 70 feet (21 meters) in height. Firemasters would direct the construction of these fire temples, which were made of wood, stone, and clay. They were then adorned with Roman candles, firecrackers, rockets, and fire fountains, whizzing and exploding in colors and smoke, astonishing the crowds. Huge replicas of religious figures were also built, creating spectacles with spinning sparks that flew from the eyes and mouth. The most popular kind of fireworks display during this time was the dragon: a large cloth, wood, and paper construction filled with rockets, firecrackers, and Roman candles that would fly from its mouth and eyes as it floated by on boats and barges. Florence, Italy, became the center of fireworks manufacturing by the 1400s. To change the effects of an explosion, Italian firemasters mixed up the different components, adding or reducing the amount of sulfur, to change a color. They also experimented with materials such as iron and copper, which created brighter explosions. Firemasters learned that they could create even more dramatic effects if they

The History of Fireworks floated the fire devices on water, which reflected all the white- and orange-colored smoke and flames spewing from it. THE FIRST PYROTECHNICIANS During the Renaissance, official posts were created in royal courts for firemasters. Firemasters were in charge of designing fireworks displays to celebrate military victories, religious festivals, and the crownings of kings and queens. When European settlers came to the New World, they packed a few fireworks, for celebrations. During the American Revolution, fireworks were a part of the Independence Day celebration in 1777. The war was not yet won, and the outcome was still uncertain, but the celebration and fireworks raised hopes and spirits toward a positive outcome. During this time in Europe, two schools of pyrotechnic thought emerged: one in Italy and the other in Northern Europe. The Italian school of pyrotechnics emphasized elaborate fireworks with tall towers, painted murals, and gilded edges. The Northern school stressed scientific advancement, focusing more on mechanics, such as spin-

Cirque de Flambe The tradition of fireworks in the theater began centuries ago with the invention of gunpowder. Today, the actors of the Seattle, Washington–based Cirque de Flambe have taken that tradition and blown it up. As a world-touring pyrotechnic performance art group, Cirque de Flambe’s fiery productions include flaming clowns and towering sets of exploding pyrotechnics. This circus atmosphere, where 30-foot (9-meter) cyclones of fire “leap to life,” creates an evening of pyrotechnic entertainment that audiences won’t soon forget.

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Pyrotechnician ning wheels of sparks. Both schools added a lot to the development of pyrotechnics, and by the mid-17th century, fireworks were used for entertainment throughout Europe, at venues of all kinds, including resorts and public gardens. The use of fireworks continued to grow, and during the 18th century, politicians and county fairs used them to attract the public. In 1892, the 400-year anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in the New World was celebrated with fireworks, which lit up the Brooklyn Bridge in New York (Figure 2.2). More than a million people witnessed this event, which was considered the biggest fireworks display ever created up to that time. A reporter from the New York Daily Tribune recorded this dramatic account of the 1892 event: When daylight waned and the darkened dome of night arched over the twin cities [Brooklyn and Manhattan], the pyrotechnic artists who had taken their stand upon the Brooklyn Bridge let loose all the imprisoned spirits of light in their control. Up, up to the highest cloud, loud steamed the hissing sprites and for an hour the heavens showed forth the glory of Columbus. On the towers at either end of the main span tons of colored fire of every hue was set off. Whole batteries of mortars sent forth booms that went hurtling to the furthest depths of the overarching blackness, and then burst . . . showering upon an expectant world masses of shining, twinkling, ever-changing light, like the tinsel and spangles on a Christmas tree. Sometimes it was a cornucopia of sparkling coins descending upon the land of plenty. Sometimes there were mere formless, hazy clouds of glittering star dust. Again, a great sheaf of fire shot into the air, burst its encircling band and fell back to the earth in

The History of Fireworks

Figure 2.2 This is an artist’s depiction of a fireworks display over the Brooklyn Bridge.

reckless, disordered profusion. The colors shifted from absinthe green to violet, from red to blue, from sapphire to gold, from orange to the purest white.

By the late 1800s, the major fireworks companies in the United States were being developed by Italian immigrants. When they arrived in the United States, they were looking for an area that resembled the climate and terrain of their native Italy. They found this in the valleys of western Pennsylvania, near a town called New Castle.

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Chapter

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What Is a Pyrotechnician? PYROTECHNICIANS ARE THE MODERN-DAY firemasters.

Pyro comes from the Greek word pyros, which means “fire.” Although the term pyrotechnician doesn’t have the romantic ring of firemaster, it acknowledges the technical part of the job. However, making art from fire is still the most important part of the pyrotechnician’s work. SPECIALTIES Pyrotechnicians work in two main areas of fireworks production: as factory artisans or field technicians. As factory artisans, they specialize in the manufacturing of fireworks, creating dif-

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What Is a Pyrotechnician? ferent grades of powders, mixing them with chemicals and colors in exact combinations, according to set formulas. Accuracy is critical, since the shells must deliver the right amount of explosive thrust, so they’ll burst at just the right time in a planned show. In the factory, pyrotechnicians can create images and shapes, such as hearts, five-pointed stars, or the shape of someone’s face. To do this, pyrotechnicians lay out the shape or pattern with several stars, and then arrange them inside the shell. These materials are ignited when the shell explodes, and are thrust outward to the right distances, forming the desired shape. Field pyrotechnicians meet directly with clients to plan how fireworks will be used for an event. Clients may be officials from city hall or production managers for a rock musician. Families sometimes use fireworks to celebrate a wedding. Corporations display blazing company logos to launch their business, or they may consult with pyrotechnicians on how to create interest and excitement in a new product at an event.

Pyro Boy: Fire on Stage When Wally Glenn started his career as a stand-up comic in 1989, he didn’t know he would one day become “Pyro Boy.” He was simply following his interests. Combining his skills as a comic and performance artist, he began to use fire in his performances. He worked as a puppeteer with the Fire Puppets, as a member of Cirque de Flambe, and in 2002, he created his current stage persona, Pyro Boy. As Pyro Boy, Glenn performs with fireworks attached to his body. But first, he protects himself by suiting up in thick, fire-resistant clothing and a heavy helmet. All the fireworks he uses are low-level grade (less dangerous).

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Pyrotechnician A pyrotechnician may meet with a communications director for a city to plan a New Year’s Eve show, or a representative from a foreign government to plan the nation’s Independence Day celebration. The events they plan might be for political conventions, sporting events, parades, or state fairs. Together, the pyrotechnician and the client discuss the site, the amount of noise involved, the colors they want to use, and the overall tone they are looking for. Do they want a show that appeals to many different human senses—with sight and sound? Will they be trying to create humor in the display? What is the desired emotional experience? These are all questions the pyrotechnician asks a client.

Chapter

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Types of Fireworks THERE ARE TWO MAIN TYPES of fireworks: consumer fire-

works, which are the small firecrackers, sparklers, Roman candles, and fountains sold at roadside stands (in states where fireworks are legal—see the box on page 24) around the Fourth of July. These are the fireworks that ordinary people can use. The other type is display fireworks. These are large, powerful fireworks shot from cannons or mortars for big celebrations and shows. These kinds of fireworks require licenses and permits to use, and are the kind that pyrotechnicians work with.

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Are Fireworks Legal in Your State? Federal regulations ban the use of all fireworks that contain more than 50 milligrams of explosive material. Different states and even local areas have their own laws that cover which explosives below this level may be used. The list below outlines the different states and the types of fireworks they allow consumers to use. Always remember: Even if a certain type of firework is legal, it is not necessarily safe. • States that allow some or all kinds of consumer fireworks: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming • States that have no fireworks laws except at the county level: Nevada • States that allow only sparklers and/or other novelties: Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania • States that ban all consumer fireworks, including those allowed under federal law: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

Types of Fireworks DISPLAY FIREWORKS Display fireworks are made of aerial shells and illuminations. Shells can be round or shaped like a cylinder. The shell’s outer layer is made of a paper, which is formed and held together with glue. Pyrotechnicians add stars and noisemakers to shells and then seal them. They come in many sizes: 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 8-, and 24-inch diameters. Aerial shells are propelled by lift charges to heights between 210 and 1,200 feet (between 64 and 366 meters). Aerial displays must follow strict regulations during the set-up process.

Large Aerial Fireworks Displays These display fireworks produce chrysanthemums, peonies, Saturn shells, palm trees, and specially designed patterns and colors, depending on the event and the requests of the specific client. They are the ultimate in display fireworks, creating a multisensory experience of light, color, and sound. Low-level Fireworks, Illuminations, and Special Effects These fireworks include Roman candle fans, strobes, star mines, and multishot pyrotechnic devices. They burst 250 feet (76 meters) high, fully lighting the display area. Low-level illuminations display 100 to 150 feet (31 to 46 meters) in the air and burst from the ground up, rather than reaching a height and cascading downward like aerial shells. The regulations for these fireworks require audiences to be a minimum of 150 feet from the site, for safety. Close Proximity (Close-range) Effects Close proximity enhancements fireworks are less explosive, and consist of sparkling fountains and shooting mines.

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Pyrotechnician Audiences can come within 25 feet (8 meters) of the display area. Close proximity effects burst to heights that range between 15 and 200 feet (between 5 and 61 meters).

Indoor Pyrotechnic Effects Indoor pyrotechnics include fans of pyrotechnic light, stars, and smoke, with heights from 1 to 100 feet (0.3 to 31 meters). The heights can be set according to the size of the indoor venue (Figure 4.1). Stadiums and arenas are able to accommodate larger effects. Ground Displays Ground-level fireworks remain on the ground. Gerbs, lances, and fountains are types of ground-level fireworks. These devices are often inserted into set pieces, such as wheels and girandolas, and can include colored fire and waterfalls. Pyrotechnic ground displays often depict company logos and banners in blazing colors. Daytime Fireworks Without the inky black of night, fireworks don’t pack much color or punch. But that hasn’t kept the fireworks industry from creating special outdoor effects for daytime celebrations. The pyrotechnics company Zambelli Fireworks Internationale uses daytime aerial and ground explosions with smoke, colorful parachutes, papers, and “other Earth-falling objects.” Outdoor shells contain multicolored smoke bombs that form bright plumes and shapes that are normally created with light and sparks in nighttime shells. The smoke then drifts up to the sky.

Types of Fireworks

Figure 4.1 Indoor fireworks can be designed for all kinds of purposes. Here, a guitarist has fireworks shooting right off his back.

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Pyrotechnician SHOW TIME: SETTING OFF FIREWORKS Before an event, pyrotechnicians carefully place shells into their mortars at the site. Mortars are round, open cylinders made of either clay or metal, and they have a lifting charge at their base. The lifting charge is made of gunpowder. When it is ignited, it lights the fuse, which is connected to the shell. A second fuse burns as the shell explodes and rises from its mortar. It continues to burn until it runs out of fuel, which happens when it reaches the edge of the shell. The fuse then ignites the shell’s bursting charge, causing the shell to explode. Large aerial fireworks shells come in two main types: simple shells and multibreak shells.

Simple Shells Simple shells are made up of the paper container, filled with stars and black powder, or gunpowder. Pyrotechni-

Aerial Shell Components Aerial shells for display fireworks are made of three main components: Stars: These look like stars when they’re ignited against the night sky. In the container, they are cubes or round lumps of a material made up of fuel, oxidizer, binders, and iron powder. Bursting charge: This is a gunpowder charge that lights the shell. Fuse: This is a length of string with a row of gunpowder inside it. It begins to burn as the shell is launched, and sets off the detonation of the shell when the altitude is just right.

Types of Fireworks cians pack simple shells in different arrays at the factory, some with multiple layers of stars, others with large bursts of stars.

Multibreak Shells Multibreak shells produce more than one burst. They consist of a group of shells placed inside one large shell, or of separate segments that explode in different phases. These segments are ignited by different fuses, which are set off in a chain reaction: As one section ignites, it lights the fuse below it. The separations are created with break charges, or breaks, which are compartments within the shell that contain special effects explosives.

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Chapter

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What Do Pyrotechnicians Do? PYROTECHNICIAN HOWARD SIMMONS begins his day at

Zambelli Fireworks Internationale by placing his hand on a brass plate as he enters the workroom, to diffuse the static electricity built up on his clothing and body. He wears cotton clothing all over his body, as do all employees in a fireworks factory, because cotton it is the least static-producing material you can wear. A single spark can create an explosion in this factory. If it’s before the Fourth of July, Simmons is busy filling orders for one of the 1,800 shows (using more than one million shells) that the Zambellis produce around the country for dif-

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What Do Pyrotechnicians Do? ferent communities. “It’s messy work,” Simmons says, laughing. “The powder gets everywhere.” MAKING FIREWORKS Pyrotechnicians begin to make the shells by first sifting the gunpowder through a screen, to remove any large pieces. They wear masks over their mouth and nose to avoid inhaling the fine gunpowder that flies around while they work. Next, they add water to the powder, then mix it together until it becomes soft and doughy. Pyrotechnicians shape the “dough” into small pieces about the size of a piece of bubble gum. These pieces are the “stars” that eventually form bursts of streaming color when ignited. Pyrotechnicians also make paper shells. To do this, they take cardboard paper and form it into cylinders and spheres of different sizes, depending on what the client wants. They make the shell covers hard and thick. “The thicker and harder the shell, the bigger the blast,” Simmons says. Shells are then filled with stars, gunpowder, whistles, salutes, and booms—depending on the desired effects. After the shells are complete, they are set out to dry on racks in the sun.

On the Job Pyrotechnicians’ work can be uncomfortable. Since most shows take place outdoors, pyrotechnicians often work in sweltering heat and humidity. Shows are set up in rain, sleet, and snow, since fireworks go on year-round. Pyrotechnicians can be made miserable during the setup process by both the weather and insect bites.

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Pyrotechnician

Figure 5.1 Pyrotechnicians carefully set up each display to make sure all of the fireworks go off at just the right time.

What Do Pyrotechnicians Do? SETTING UP DISPLAYS At the display site, pyrotechnicians usually move shells by hand, but they also use frontloaders (vehicles with mechanical arms for lifting) to move them when they’re stacked on racks. It can take several days to set up a single show that only takes 20 minutes to set off. Pyrotechnicians haul lumber off the trucks to build batteries. They also carry the heavy mortars, wires, cables, electronic fuses, and control panels with switches. Most shows today are run by computers, so pyrotechnicians spend a lot of time connecting wires to the computer. On the day of the show, pyrotechnicians load up the batteries and mortars with shells (Figure 5.1). The show will go on, rain or shine, so weather is not a factor. Workers follow a plan called a schematic, created by the lead pyrotechnician. It tells them how to wire the shells. All the shells have their own place in the lineup. The position of each is written on its wooden support, like a small nameplate. Wires are attached to e-matches, which are connected to a fuse and then to the computer. Before the show, at dusk, pyrotechnicians take their places at the firing station (also called the command center, where the lead pyrotechnician directs the show). A laptop computer or a control panel, or several of each, go through some tests, and then are set (Figure 5.2). When the lead pyrotechnician gives the signal, the show goes on. Pyrotechnicians push buttons on the laptop keyboard, flip switches, and ignite the fuses. PLANNING A SHOW Pyrotechnicians in the field communicate client orders to the factory. There, pyrotechnicians make shells with the

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Figure 5.2 Pyrotechnicians use computers to plan shows and set off fireworks.

right colors, sizes, and designs for the particular event. Pyrotechnicians work with their clients on the music selections. When the music is chosen, it is digitally entered in a computer, which responds to the specific points in the music, setting off fireworks at preset moments. Pyrotechnicians listen to music selections many times, creating the most powerful visuals that they possibly can. For example, they make larger, multibreak shells to go along with the sweeping crescendos of the “1812 Overture,” performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, for a Fourth of July extravaganza. Pyrotechnicians insert the right amount of punch to a song at a rock concert, with flashes of stars, white smoke, and explosions.

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The Science of Fireworks CHEMISTRY FOR A FEW HUNDRED YEARS, fireworks created plenty of

excitement, even though they only exploded in flashes of orange and white sparks. In the 1830s, scientific advances enabled pyrotechnicians to create reds, blues, greens, and yellows by adding metallic salts. Red was created with strontium salts, green came from barium salts, blue came from copper salts, and sodium created the color yellow. Gold and white came from combining aluminum and magnesium (Figure 6.1). Aerial shell fireworks contain basic black powder (made up of potassium nitrates, sulfur, and charcoal), along with a vari-

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Figure 6.1 Different chemicals make fireworks turn different colors, as in this display over Sydney, Australia.

ety of chemicals that pyrotechnicians add for more color and punch (see the box on page 37). The chemicals in fireworks perform different functions. Fireworks are generally made of an oxidizing agent, a reducing agent, a coloring agent, binders, and regulators.

Oxidizers The first ingredient in a firework is the oxidizing agent. This chemical produces the oxygen needed to make the mixture burn. Common oxidizers are the nitrates found in saltpeter. Reducing Agents The second most important element in fireworks is a reducing agent. This chemical burns the oxygen produced by the oxidizers to produce hot gases. Some common reducing agents are sulfur and charcoal, two of the components of black powder. They create sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide as they burn.

The Science of Fireworks

Fireworks Components Aluminum: Produces silver and white flames and sparks. It is a common component of sparklers. Barium: Creates green colors in fireworks, and can also help stabilize other elements. Carbon: One of the main components of black powder, it is used as a propellant. Carbon is the fuel for fireworks. Calcium: Calcium deepens firework colors. Calcium salts produce orange fireworks. Chlorine: Chlorine is an important component of many oxidizers (substances that produce oxygen to allow burning to occur) in fireworks. Several of the metal salts that produce colors contain chlorine. Copper: Copper helps create blue colors in fireworks. Iron: Iron is used to make sparks. How hot the metal gets determines the color of the sparks. Potassium: Potassium helps oxidize firework mixtures. Potassium nitrate (saltpeter), potassium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate are all important oxidizers. Lithium: Lithium is a metal used to give fireworks a red color. Lithium carbonate, in particular, is a common colorant. Magnesium: This chemical burns a very bright white, so it is used to add white sparks or improve the overall brilliance of fireworks. Sodium: Sodium gives a gold or yellow color to fireworks. However, the color is often so bright that it masks other, less intense colors. Oxygen: Fireworks include oxidizers—usually nitrates, chlorates, or perchlorates. Sometimes the same substance is used to provide both oxygen and color.

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Pyrotechnician Binders Binders hold the explosive materials together, like a lump. This lump is a called a “star.” Stars are created with black powder, dextrine, and shellac. They are rolled out like cookie dough, then shaped by hand in the factory. PHYSICS Fireworks are pure entertainment for the crowds, but these awesome displays are based on hard science, both chemistry (as described above) and physics. Pyrotechnicians must consider the relationships between vectors, trajectories, and projectiles as they design the explosive force of each shell. Setting up the angles of the mortars is also an important detail, since angles create the dramatic arches and cascading effects of comets and Roman candles. Aerial shell fireworks (as opposed to ground illuminations) require a more scientific approach, because of their long (350-foot [107-meter]) streaming trails and the chance that pieces may collide during multiple firings. Shells are propelled at velocities measured in feet per second. Larger shells go as fast as 400 feet (122 meters) per second when first launched. Larger shells use more black powder and produce more gases, making the propelling action greater. Shells travel 100 feet (31 meters) for every inch (2.5 cm) of their diameter. The relationship between velocity and the heights the shells reach is calculated with mathematical formulas. Pyrotechnicians use computers to determine heights based on shell sizes. Trajectories are calculated by using the shell’s diameter and the angle of the flight path (the direction the shell will go). Pyrotechnicians create graphs and charts to show the

The Science of Fireworks angle and height of the trajectory for each shell, so they can plan the timing of the fireworks. If they don’t do this, they run the risk of not getting a shell to reach the desired height, of causing collisions, or of having shells go beyond the boundary of safety for the crowd. Pyrotechnicians use the Pythagorean theorem and trigonometry to determine heights, horizontal distances, and firing angles. Pyrotechnicians must also consider the size of shell bursts when planning a show. The larger the shell, the wider the burst. During a show, shell bursts are like dancers— each has a place to go at a specific time. Each needs enough room to move on the “stage.” Shell bursts vary in size, according to the size of the shell they were shot from. Shell bursts are usually about 45 feet (14 meters) in diameter for every inch (2.5 cm) in shell size. An 8-inch (20-cm) shell will produce a burst 360 feet in diameter. A 2-inch (5-cm) shell will produce a burst 90 feet (27 meters) in diameter. Pyrotechnicians use this information to determine how and when to set off individual shells, to create the effect they want.

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7

Tools of the Pyrotechnician SATELLITES AND SOFTWARE THE GRUCCI CREW HAS SET UP a command center near the

Ellipse (west lawn of the White House) in the cool January air, next to the network TV and newspaper crews with satellite dishes. The Grucci fireworks crew will also be working with a satellite, but for a very different reason. The fireworks team has worked all week, setting up displays at three different Washington, D.C., locations to celebrate the president’s inauguration. One display is near the White House; another is next to the Jefferson Memorial; and the third is near the Washington Monument (Figure 7.1). All three will be set

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Tools of the Pyrotechnician

Figure 7.1 Fireworks explode over the landmarks of Washington, D.C.: the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Capitol.

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Pyrotechnician off at exactly the same time with a push of a button on a laptop computer at the command center. However, the signal for setting off the fireworks will not be received through elaborate wiring systems. Time codes sent from the laptop computer to a satellite orbiting Earth are processed and sent back to a module at the display area, which electronically sets off the fuses. All three displays go off at the same time, as the pyrotechnicians sit back and enjoy the show. This fireworks display was planned according to a script, which describes on paper exactly which shells will be bursting when. The show’s pacing and artistic elements, which may include music, are described in the script, and all of this information is entered into the laptop computer. A powerful new computer technology called FireOne makes it possible for pyrotechnicians to control the timing of shell bursts with great precision. FireOne uses information from the script to create a digital command, telling the computers when to fire the display. The system is made of both hardware and software, and cuts the timeconsuming process of creating world-class fireworks shows in half. Phil Barone, a pyrotechnician for Grucci says, “The FireOne computer program makes it possible to control the firing, right down to the millisecond. We created a New Year’s show in Las Vegas this year, and we set up fireworks displays at ten different roof top locations. The command center was located at the Rio [hotel] behind the [Las Vegas] Strip. There were no cables being run from one roof to the next. Once the FireOne program was linked up and communicating with all ten locations, via satellite, the computer was ready to go, and they fired in unison. They

Tools of the Pyrotechnician created a picture that looked exactly the same, going from north to south, down the Strip.” FUSES Black match is a thin cotton tube, filled with black powder, or gunpowder. It burns at a rate of 1 inch (2.5 cm) per second. Black match fuses are useful because their burn rate is slow enough to give pyrotechnicians time to light the fuse and run away before the fuse burns down to the edge of the shell. Quick match is cotton soaked in a solution made of gunpowder, gum arabic, and boiling water. It is then rolled in gunpowder and dried. Quick match is true to its name—it burns at the rate of 1 yard (3 feet; about 1 meter) in 13 seconds. Quick match is used in display fireworks when a large number of shells need to be fired all at once. Slow match is a type of twisted hemp rope soaked in limewater and saltpeter. It burns at the rate of 4 to 5 inches (10–13 cm) per hour, and is used for firing cannons and fireworks. Visco fuses are made with cotton strings filled with meal powder (a grade of gunpowder), and coated with a nitrocellulose lacquer. It burns at a rate of about 30 seconds per foot (31 cm). Visco is used in display fireworks to delay firing, so that the choreography with music or other design choices can take place as planned. E-MATCH Electrical firing systems have made it much safer to be a pyrotechnician. The displays are set up as usual, but instead of long fuses being lit by a type of lighter, they are ignited by a spark. When electrical current goes through a long

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Pyrotechnician wire, it heats up and generates a small flame and a spark. These wires are connected directly to the shells, or to a separate fuse that leads up to the shell. E-matches are ignited from a distance by the pyrotechnicians, who are located away from the actual display site. They ignite them electrically through wiring and computer software. LOW-TECH TOOLS Pyrotechnicians need flashlights, because most fireworks shows happen at night. Although the majority of a pyrotechnician’s work is a daylight activity, pyrotechnicians must also reload and occasionally make adjustments to the mortars during displays. This requires them to step into the dangerous firing area in the dark of night. Masking tape is a simple tool needed to hold fuses in place. Pyrotechnicians also carry box-cutter knives to cut fuses, because scissors can generate friction and sparks. From the simple to the high-tech, pyrotechnicians have a lot of tools at their disposal.

Chapter

8

Becoming a Pyrotechnician TRAINING PYROTECHNICIANS RECEIVE TRAINING through their

employers, special training programs, seminars, and workshops. Some choose to train as apprentices, or they may be selftaught. The basics of firing systems, mortar design, e-match technology, shell assignments, mortar angles, and shipping are important for pyrotechnicians to learn. At Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, pyrotechnicians complete a one-year training program, which involves studying the science of fireworks and an apprenticeship. They learn how to build shells, how the electrical firing process works, and how

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Pyrotechnician to manage shows. They also learn how to delegate responsibilities. Lead pyrotechnicians need to be able to deal with people, crowds, clients, and crew. Pyro Spectaculars by Souza has a training program called “Pyro University,” which offers classes on state laws and regulations, and also teaches students about identifying products and devices, firing methods, and how to set up displays. Fireworks by Grucci trains all its workers in college-style classes. Students train outdoors, practicing set-up and firing during the day, so they can see what they’re doing. Most display fireworks accidents are the result of working near mortars that are wired for explosion. State licensing is available for pyrotechnicians around the country. Each state has different requirements. WHERE DO PYROTECHNICIANS WORK? Trained pyrotechnicians can work in a variety of industries on both a full-time and part-time basis.

Pyrotech Companies Some of the largest companies that hire pyrotechnicians are family owned and operated. Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, Fireworks by Grucci, and Pyro Spectaculars by Souza are large, national and international businesses, which employ hundreds of pyrotechnicians (nearly all employees work part-time). Zambelli Fireworks Zambelli Fireworks Internationale’s home office is in New Castle, Pennsylvania, where Antonio Zambelli settled in 1893, starting the family fireworks business. Other Italian

Becoming a Pyrotechnician fireworks families also moved to New Castle, and in the 1900s, New Castle had seven fireworks companies, producing 25% of the nation’s fireworks. The Zambellis claim to be one of the first in the fireworks business to use electronic firings and to synchronize fireworks to music. Today, the Zambellis remain a family-run operation, and all members of the family have a role. Zambelli Fireworks hires people on a year-round basis, and also employs parttime pyrotechnicians for seasonal work, mostly for the Fourth of July.

Fireworks by Grucci The Gruccis began their American fireworks operation when Angelo Lanzetto moved to Long Island, New York, in 1870. In 1923, his nephew Felix Grucci went to work in the business, joining his uncle Anthony Lanzetto. They slowly

Fireworks Disaster One of the worst disasters in the United States occurred in a fireworks factory. In 1930, the Pennsylvania Fireworks Display company, located near Philadelphia, was having an ordinary day in April, until 10:00 A.M., when the company president heard something that sounded like a firecracker. Right after this, the factory’s gunpowder shed exploded, setting off fireworks in the building nearby where shells were being made. Ten people working inside were killed. This explosion was followed by a fire that set off more explosions, which destroyed the rest of the buildings. The blasts broke windows in homes for miles around, and cars driving by were rolled over by the exploding force. People in neighboring communities were bruised and cut by flying debris.

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Pyrotechnician built their business, employing many family members in the process. As with other large pyrotechnics companies, their employees work mostly part-time.

Souzas Manuel Souza began the family business in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1900s. The family is famous for their Souza Comets, which criss-cross to the beat of “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The family business was rekindled in the 1950s, by Bob Souza, who expanded the business and named it “Pyro Spectaculars by Souza” in 1979. The company hires workers seasonally, like other pyrotechnic businesses. In addition to these large family-run companies, there are hundreds of smaller pyrotechnical businesses that also hire seasonal workers, especially around the Fourth of July. Movie and Television Studios Large movie studios such as Disney, Warner Brothers, and Universal hire pyrotechnicians to create exploding car crashes (Figure 8.1), bombs for war scenes, and blazing fires in which buildings topple. Pyrotechnicians also work at theme parks such as Sea World (where fireworks are set off nightly) and for production companies that put on rock concerts and half-time events at the Super Bowl. Entertainers in Las Vegas hire pyrotechnicians to create indoor fireworks on their stages. State fairs and smaller amusement park operations hire pyrotechnicians for seasonal work. Larry Roberts, a pyrotechnician on the Warner Brothers film The Matrix, describes how they prepare for the pyrotechnics and special effects in film: “We start by testing, getting the magnitude of the explosions we want, as

Becoming a Pyrotechnician

Pyrotechnics in the Movies Pyrotechnic artists are responsible for many film effects, such as bullets hitting walls, exploding cars and buildings, and fires of all kinds. A pyrotechnic artist has an arsenal of tools to help him or her achieve the director’s vision of some film effect. For example, when the script calls for bullets to hit the side of a car, small holes are drilled into the car where the bullets might enter (if there actually were bullets, but there aren’t). A small exploding device called a squib, which is electronically detonated, is placed into the hole. Clay, colored to match the car’s paint, is filled over the squib and hole. On cue, a pyrotechnician sets off each squib, to simulate bullets hitting a car door, one at a time. To make large explosions, such as an exploding house, pyrotechnic artists turn to mortars, prima chord, and other devices. Exploding houses require explosives to be placed inside the house behind the windows, which creates the dramatic film effect of fire bursting out of the windows, sending shards of glass shooting outward. Prima chord is a powerful explosive that resembles a long piece of explosive string. When it’s ignited, anything it touches explodes. Explosions travel through prima chord several times faster than the speed of sound, causing an instant explosion. In an exploding house, prima chord is taped to the walls so that the house will break into small pieces. Pyrotechnicians put mortars and prima chord together, to achieve massive and frighteningly realistic explosions. Stunt men and women often work in situations where stunts and pyrotechnics are combined. They wear protective suits and a flame retardant gel to avoid being set on fire.

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Pyrotechnician well as the look of it, the color, and the density. We also try to get the right height for the cameras to be at for the explosions, where we can get the shot we want without damaging them.” The pyrotechnicians must know the script well, so that timing for each scene with explosives is accurate. This can be especially challenging with rolling vehicles. Roberts explains that some of the stunts with the vehicles in The Matrix were very challenging: “There were bullet hits flying which had to be coordinated with the hits of the gunfire, and that sort of thing. I think the motorcycle chase sequences were probably the most dangerous and the most challenging stunts I can think of at this moment, because so many people could have been hurt. With the camera cars chasing in and out of all the cars on the freeway, the coordination had to be precise.”

Figure 8.1 Pyrotechnicians design and plan spectacular explosions for the movie industry.

Becoming a Pyrotechnician FIREWORKS HAVE OTHER USES It’s hard to imagine the need for fireworks in a quiet cornfield, but they have a purpose there. Farmers use propane cannon blasts and whistling, screaming pyrotechnics to frighten away large flocks of crows and other pests, to protect their crops from being consumed and destroyed. Flares have long been a type of firework designed to signal for help. Roadside flares are used by police and emergency vehicles to help direct traffic away from an accident scene. Buses, trains, and trucks carry them in case of breakdowns and emergencies where other means of communication are not available. Ships use rockets and Roman candles to call for help when radio and other forms of communication are down. The U.S. Coast Guard stores flares in emergency kits along with rocket launchers for the same purpose. Back-country skiers and hikers use flares in case they get lost, are injured, or get stuck in an avalanche. A flare casts a bright orange, pink, or rose-colored flame, with a trail of smoke. Flares stand out well in daylight, but they are impossible to miss in the dark. If you need help, flares are a good way to get attention. PYROTECHNICIANS AND SAFETY Fire extinguishers and cotton clothing are the constants in any fireworks business. They are required at all times when pyrotechnicians are on the job, whether it’s in the factory or at the display site. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created a list of safety guidelines designed to help pyrotechnicians (display fireworks operators, as

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Pyrotechnician OSHA calls them) safely use fireworks in the large quantities typical in display settings. OSHA has also also published a book called Fireworks Safety Tips, which outlines the safety guidelines in great detail. Here are some of OSHA’s suggestions for the safe use of fireworks: • Pyrotechnicians must get a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) license and permit. If they are doing shows near waterways and oceans, pyrotechnicians must get approval from the U.S. Coast Guard. They must get Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval if they are doing a show close to an airport or heliport. • Pyrotechnicians must follow a display checklist when they design the show. The checklist has four different categories: pre-display approval, pre-display site, display, and post-display. Pre-display approval checklist: Protect fireworks from moisture and flame; smoking, lighters, or open flames of any kind are prohibited from being closer than 50 feet [15 meters] from the fireworks. Only the people responsible for the set-up and firing of the display are allowed at the site. No one under the influence of alcohol is to be allowed near the site, since this can affect the judgment in this volatile environment. No cell phones are allowed. Display check list: Pyrotechnicians must establish good communications with fellow workers; establish crowd control boundaries; wear personal protective safety equipment, such as safety glasses, ear protection, and hard hats. They must make

Becoming a Pyrotechnician sure all the mortars are strong enough, and made of the right materials. Pyrotechnicians must avoid placing themselves directly over the opening of a mortar while loading, wiring, or igniting a shell. Safe handling and loading experts must watch the display, and notify the lead pyrotechnician if things don’t look as if they’re working right. Post-display checklist: Safety remains a concern while taking down the displays, even after the show is over (in case of an unexploded shell). OSHA requires that pyrotechnicians continue to wear personal protective equipment. All electric firing devices and switches and cables must be disconnected. The display areas should be inspected, but only after at least a 15-minute waiting period, after the show is over. Pyrotechnicians check for “duds” and any other unused firework material, and this material is repackaged and secured for safe removal.

OTHER FIELDS FOR PYROTECHNICIANS The world of fireworks displays is just one area within the interesting field of explosion science. Read more on this topic, because this stuff is a blast!

Demolition Wrecking balls and gunpowder have been the tools of demolition for years, but wrecking a skyscraper takes special handling. Buildings get old, and cost plays a big factor in the decision of whether to restore or remove them. Often, it’s cheaper to start from the ground up. This is when the demolition crews are called in.

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Pyrotechnician Blasters, as demolition experts are called, use detonators, dynamite, and another powerful explosive material called RDX to bring down large buildings. Blasters start by strategically placing explosive charges throughout a building, according to the thickness and strength of the material they’re blowing up. Blowdowns, as blasters call them, require a scientific approach, because bringing down 20-story buildings affects people, neighboring buildings, and local businesses. Simply blowing them up isn’t possible, and using wrecking balls can be time-consuming. Blasters use a faster method called “implosion.” Dynamite plays a key role in implosion science, because its powerful explosive force blows up concrete into tiny fragments and powder, bringing down skyscrapers within seconds (Figure 8.2). The massive explosive force prevents large, toppling columns and chunks of concrete from tumbling or flying outward.

Rocket Science Rockets first appeared in China around 500 B.C., when firecrackers were invented. Some people consider “ground rats” (the fireworks stuffed into a paper tube, propelled by smoke escaping from a small opening on one end) the first rockets. Ground-to-air rockets soon followed and gunpowder was the key ingredient in all of them. From around A.D. 1200 forward, rockets used gunpowder-based solid fuels as a propellant. Since exploding rockets were used frequently as weapons of war, accuracy was an important part of their design. An English inventor named William Hale designed a unique rocket fin, which caused the rocket to spin more accurately

Becoming a Pyrotechnician

Figure 8.2 This is a view of the implosion of the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington.

toward its target. Increased accuracy made rocket brigades almost as important as guns in war, until the Prussians invented a type of cannon with rifled barrels and exploding warheads, which they used to defeat the Austrians in the Austro-Prussia War of 1866. This turned out to be far superior to any rocket. As a result, the traditional use of rockets as weapons faded from the scene, but only temporarily. Today, rockets are again being used as military devices. Some examples of military rockets are the LG-118 Peacekeeper and the LGM-30 Minuteman missiles, both of which use modern versions of liquid and solid rocket fuels. Scientists determined that the thrust of rockets would increase if they used liquid fuel instead of solid fuels. In 1926, an American scientist named Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket, with gasoline and

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Pyrotechnician liquid oxygen. Scientists have since experimented with many combinations of liquid fuel in rockets. SPACE SHUTTLE: THE ULTIMATE ROCKET Rockets use either liquid or solid fuel propellants to launch space vehicles off the ground. Liquid fuel can be pumped into a combustion chamber, where it is mixed with an oxidizer and ignited. An operator can control how much fuel enters the combustion chamber, and this way, can also control the amount of thrust in the rocket. Liquid fuel rockets are used on the Space Shuttle’s main engines, and on the Cassini and Galileo mission satellite thrusters. A solid fuel rocket is a tube filled with a propellant and oxidizer, like a firecracker. After solid fuel rockets are ignited, they keep burning until all of the propellant is gone. For spacecraft, once the propellant is gone, the hollow tube that held the propellant drops off. Solid fuel rockets produce more thrust than any other kind. The solid rocket boosters on the Space Shuttle produce 3.1 million pounds of thrust. Military missiles also use solid rocket fuel. Stephanie Wong, student ambassador at NASA, described the awesome explosive power of the solid rocket boosters (150 feet [46 meters] long, and 12 feet [4 meters] in diameter), on the Space Shuttle: . . . the SSMEs (main engines) glowed with light. For six seconds they fired before the SRBs [solid rocket boosters] ignited and the whole complex rose into the sky. By the time the shuttle left the Launch Tower, the full sound of the rocket reached us. It was as loud as fireworks, not just “pops” but a complete ear-deafening roar! The rumbles were so loud that I was wondering how the astronauts could protect their ears

Becoming a Pyrotechnician inside the cabin. Were we really miles away from the launch site? [Yes.] If I was blindfolded, I would have thought that I had my ears pressed onto a full thrust airplane engine. The other thing that you cannot avoid is the light energy the shuttle produces. Not long after the sound hit us, it was the illumination that amazed us. Even though the Press Site lights were still on, it looked like the sun had actually risen. Was it daytime? It sure seemed like it. Still with my jaw wide open, I saw the shuttle’s quick ascent. . . . It’s really up there!

AN INTERVIEW WITH A PYROTECHNICIAN Pyrotechnician Ernie Simmons travels around the world for Zambelli Internationale, setting up displays for independence day celebrations, corporate launches, and community events of all kinds. He says, “I set up 58 shows last year. I set up the Boston Pops July Fourth concert, I traveled to Kuwait for their independence day, to Australia, and to the South Pacific, and I’m only one of several who do this for Zambelli.” Although he is a full-time employee of Zambelli Internationale, Simmons says that most of the pyrotechnicians come from other walks of life and work part-time for Zambelli just because they love fireworks: “A lot of people who work for us are professionals, such as doctors and lawyers. We have several physicians who work for us, and they enjoy the variety this brings to their lives, but really, they just love fireworks. You never really get used to this job, it always give me butterflies when I see a show, every single time.” The author asked Simmons several questions of interest to those who might like to become a pyrotechnician:

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Pyrotechnician How did you get into the business of fireworks? I fell into my career in pyrotechnics by accident. I was working on a construction crew for the Jaycees [Junior Chamber] in New Castle, and started working with Zambelli Fireworks every Fourth of July, and then I just slowly phased out of my construction business and moved into the fireworks business. Do you work year-round? Yes. I do one or two shows a week, year-round. Are these shows all over the country? All over the world. I’ve been in 17 different countries. I did Independence Day in Kuwait, before Desert Storm. I did a show one year after that to dedicate a park in Saudi Arabia. Who decides which fireworks to use? Very often the client picks the music, and I decide on the program based on the music. We make the fireworks fit whatever theme the client is using. How do you get the fireworks to these international sites? We ship them on boats. We have to do a lot planning; for some shows we start planning a year in advance. Some shows for next January [nine months from the time of the interview] we are doing the planning right now. Is it mostly independence day celebrations? Conventions, parties, weddings, rock concerts (Ricky Martin, Cher, Beach Boys). One of our employees was on the road with Ricky Martin for eight months. Are you in charge of the crew, and is the crew made up of trained pyrotechnicians? I am the senior pyrotechnician. I also provide training for fireworks safety with local fire departments. Yes, other crew members are trained pyrotechnicians.

Becoming a Pyrotechnician What is involved for the crew, after the show is completely set up? We have observers, we have people back in the safety zone, who keep an eye on things in case it goes wrong. Every site condition is different so you have to prepare [according to the needs of that job]. What do you do when it’s all over? We load everything back up on the trucks. Did you have any idea you’d be doing this for a living when you were kid? No, I didn’t. Do you have a passion for this work now? Yes, I do. Every time I do a show, it’s like an artist performing on stage, but I’m performing it in the sky. Do you ever get used to it? No. I still get butterflies. I never get used to it. Who are some of your competitors? We don’t have any (laughs). There are other good companies out there, such as Grucci fireworks, but we’ve always been on the cutting edge of technology.

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GLOSSARY Aerial shell: Fireworks propelled into the air. Shells may be rockets, peonies, Roman candles, or repeaters. Alchemists: People who practiced an early form of chemistry associated with magic. Altitude: The height of something above the Earth’s surface. Apprentice: A person who works for a specific length of time with a master to learn a trade, craft, or skill. Bamboo: A type of tropical grass that resembles tall, thin trees; bamboo stems are hollow with jointed sections. Battery: A group of fireworks connected by wooden frames, creating a single unit. Binders: Materials used to hold powders together in fireworks. Black match: A type of fuse made of cotton string fibers coated with a black powder slurry (slurry is a liquid that has a high concentration of a solid material; in this case, black powder). Black powder: The most common ingredient in fireworks, made up of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal. Blaster: A demolition expert. Blowdown: A demolition project. Burst: The fully exploded firework shell at its maximum size. Casings: The outer shell of fireworks. Chain reaction: A series of explosive events, in which each explosion is set off by the one before it. Close proximity enhancements: Close-range fireworks that explode at lower altitudes. Colorants: Dyes or chemical compounds that add color. Comet: A large white star that leaves a thick trail of powdery light in its wake. Command center: The location where the lead pyrotechnician controls the setting off of fireworks with a computer. Consumer fireworks: Small pyrotechnics, such as firecrackers and sparklers, available to ordinary people. Detonation: The setting off of a firework. Dextrine: A type of glue, or binder, that holds fireworks powders together.

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Display fireworks: Department of Transportation class of fireworks that mainly includes aerial fireworks. Duds: Fireworks that fail to explode. Dynamite: A powerful explosive made by soaking nitroglycerin into an absorbing material, such as wood; invented by Alfred Nobel in 1866. E-match: Electrical ignition made of wires, connected to fireworks. When charged with electricity, it ignites the fuse. Fins: Narrow ridges or edges attached to a rocket to give it a more stable flight path. Fire fountains: Towers of flames. Fire lance: A flame-throwing weapon. Firemasters: Early pyrotechnicians. Firing station: The location where pyrotechnicians electronically detonate fireworks. Flight path: The direction in which a flying object, such as a rocket, travels. Formula: A combination of mathematical equations or measured materials that creates the desired results. Friction: When two surfaces rub together or touch, creating energy; in fireworks, friction is avoided, because friction causes sparks. Fuse: A length of string filled with gunpowder, to ignite a firework shell. Gerb: A professional term for a for a fountain-style effect that produces a spray of bright sparks. Gerbs may be placed facing upward for a “spray” effect or downward for a “waterfall” effect. Girandola: A spinning wheel that propels itself upward. When it reaches its peak, it releases stars, or a report (sound). Ground rat: An early type of rocket, propelled along the ground by a black powder. Gum arabic: A water-soluble kind of gum that acts as an adhesive. Gunpowder: Black powder. Illuminations: Fireworks displays that burst from the ground up, rather than exploding in mid-air. Lift charge: An amount of black powder at the base of a shell. Limewater: Saturated calcium hydroxide solution.

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Medieval: Having to do with the Middle Ages, from about A.D. 500 to 1450. Mortar: A metal tube that holds the aerial shells before firing. Mortars contain the explosive action, which forces the shell to move upward. Multibreak shells: Aerial shells that produce more than one burst. Nitrocellulose lacquer: A flammable coating used on fuses. Oxidizers: Substances that produce oxygen to allow burning to occur. In fireworks, oxidizers are usually nitrates, chlorates, or perchlorates. Powderworks: An old slang term for a gunpowder factory. Prima chord: Powerful explosive that resembles a long piece of string. It will cause anything it touches to explode, once ignited. Explosions travel through prima chord several times faster than the speed of sound. Projectile: Something sent moving by an explosive force. Propellant: A mixture of fuel and oxidizing agent that reacts to produce a high-energy stream of gases to create thrust. Pyrotechnics: A term used for the craft of fireworks or explosive special effects. Pythagorean theorem: A geometry formula that states that in a right triangle, the hypotenuse (the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle) squared is equal to the sum of the squares of the other sides. Quick match: Cotton soaked in a solution of gunpowder, gum arabic, and boiling water. RDX: An explosive material used in demolition and in the military. Reducing agent: In fireworks, chemicals that burn the oxygen produced by oxidizers. Two common reducing agents are sulfur and charcoal, two of the components of black powder. Rocket: Any of a variety of a cylinder-shaped objects propelled forward when their on-board combustible material is ignited. Roman candle: A series of stars, separated by gunpowder, shot high in the air. Saltpeter: The oxidizer in gunpowder. The chemical term for saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Salutes: Booming sounds; explosive white light and boom usually heard at the end of shows.

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Script: A list of when things will occur for a fireworks event. Shan: Legendary, mythical, semi-human monsters from the mountains of western China. Shards: Jagged, broken pieces. Shell: A simplification of the term aerial shell. Shellac: A thin type of varnish that seals and coats shells. Shooting mines: Upward fan-shaped blasts of smoke and color. Slow match: Twisted hemp rope soaked in limewater and saltpeter. It burns at the rate of 4 to 5 inches (10–13 cm) per hour, and is used for firing cannons and fireworks. Sparklers: A handheld consumer firework that burns slowly while emitting colored flames and sparks. Squib: Small explosive device that, when detonated, will simulate the effect of a bullet/puncture wound or small explosion. Star: A gumdrop-sized mixture that lights up with sparks when it burns, resembling a falling star. Strobes: Clusters of flashing silvery light that float slowly to the ground. Time codes: Computer codes that send information about the timing of fireworks. Trajectories: The curves or paths of an object moving through space. Trigonometry: A branch of mathematics dealing primarily with the characteristics of triangles. Vectors: Line segments whose length stands for magnitude and whose orientation stands for direction. Velocities: Speeds. Visco: A type of fireworks fuse.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, Norman. Fireworks!: Pyrotechnics on Display. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1983. Author’s interview with pyrotechnician Howard Simmons of Zambelli Fireworks Internationale. Author’s interview with pyrotechnician Phil Barone of Fireworks by Grucci. Brock, Alan. The History of Fireworks. London: George Harrap and Co., 1949. Davis, Gary. From Rock to Fireworks. Danbury, CT: Children’s Press: 1997. “Fireworks on the Bridge.” New York Daily Tribune. October 11, 1892. Interview with Larry Roberts: Marcy Zambelli. Available online at http://whatisthematrix.warnerbrothers.com. Kelly, Jack. Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics: The History of the Explosive That Changed the World. New York: Basic Books, 2004. Kuklin, Susan. Fireworks: The Science, the Art, and the Magic. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1996. Svenska, Tina Johanssen. “Nobel’s Dying Wish Was to Honor Top Achievers.” CNN. Available online at http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/ 1998/nobel/overview.

Websites www.fireworkinfo.com www.fireworks.com www.osha.gov www.pbs.org www.pyro-pages.com/news/articles/beapyro.htm www.pyrouniverse.com

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FURTHER READING Books Cobb, Vicki. Fireworks (Where’s the Science Here?). Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 2005. Davis, Gary. From Rock to Fireworks. Danbury, CT: Children’s Press, 1997. Rocker, Megan. How It Happens at the Fireworks Factory (How It Happens). Minneapolis: Oliver Press, 2004.

Websites Fireworks by Grucci www.grucci.com National Council on Fireworks Safety www.fireworksafety.com Pyro Spectaculars by Souza http://pyrospectacular.net/index2.php Zambelli Fireworks Internationale www.zambellifireworks.com

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INDEX aerial shells 25 bursting charge 28 fuse 28 stars 28 alchemistry 13 American Revolution 17 apprenticeship 45 Australia 57 Austria 55 Austro-Prussian War 55

fins 14 firecrackers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 54, 56 fire fountains 16 fire lances 14 firemasters 16–17, 20 FireOne 42 fire temples 16 fireworks aerial shells 25 chemistry 35–36, 37 close-proximity enhancements 25–26 consumer fireworks 23 daytime fireworks 26 display fireworks 23, 25 demolition 53, 54 ground-level fireworks 26 illuminations 25 indoor pyrotechnics 26, 27, 48 low-level illuminations 25 making fireworks 31 multibreak shells 28, 34 music selection 34 physics 38–39 regulations by state 24 during Renaissance 16, 17 simple shells 28–29 time codes 42 in warfare 14, 15 Fireworks by Grucci 40–43, 46, 47–48, 59 Fireworks Safety Tips 52–53 Florence, Italy 16 Fourth of July. See Independence Day celebrations.

Bacon, Roger 14–15 bamboo 12, 14 Barone, Phil 42–43 binder 36, 38 black powder 12, 28, 35, 43 blowdowns 54 Boleyn, Anne 16 bombs 14 Brooklyn Bridge 18, 19 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) 52 cannons 15, 23 Capitol 41 Cassini 56 castillos 9 Central Park (Manhattan, New York) 7 China 11–12, 13, 14, 54 Cirque de Flambe 17, 21 coloring agent 36 Columbus, Christopher 18 demolition 53, 54 Disney 48 duds 53

Galileo 56 Glenn, Wally 21 Goddard, Robert 55–56 ground rat 14, 54 Grucci, Felix 47

“1812 Overture” 34 e-Matches 33, 43–44 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 52

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gunpowder 12, 13, 14–15, 16, 17, 28, 31, 47, 53 gunpowder bombs 14

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 47 powderworks 15 prima chord 49 Prussia 55 Pyro Boy 21 Pyro Spectaculars by Souza 46, 48 pyrotechnicians after a show 9–10 computers 9, 33, 34, 42 factory artisans 20–21 field technicians 20, 21–22 firemasters 16–17, 20 Italian immigrant influence 19, 46–47 Italian school 17 movie pyrotechnics 48–50 Northern school 17–18 planning a show 33–34 safety guidelines 51–53 schools of thought 17–18 setup 9, 28, 32, 33 training 45–46 where pyrotechnicians work 20–22, 46–50 Pyro University 46 Pythagorean theorem 39

Hale, William 54–55 Henry VIII, king of England 16 huo yao 12 implosion 54, 55 Independence Day celebrations 17, 22, 23, 30, 47, 57, 58 Jefferson Memorial 40 Kingdome 55 Kuwait 57, 58 Lanzetto, Angelo 47 Lanzetto, Anthony 47 Las Vegas, Nevada 42–43, 48 LGM-30 Minuteman missiles 55 LG-118 Peacekeeper 55 Lincoln Memorial 41 liquid-fueled rocket 55–56 Long Island, New York 47 Matrix, The 48 Mexico 9 mortars 7

quick match 43 reducing agent 36 regulators 36 Renaissance 16, 17 Roberts, Larry 48–50 rockets 14, 16, 51, 54–57 Roman candles 16, 23, 51

NASA 56 New Castle, Pennsylvania 19, 46, 58 New Year's Eve celebrations 7–9, 12, 22, 42–43 New York 7–9, 18 New York Daily Tribune 18

saltpeter 12, 13, 15 San Francisco, California 48 San Juan de Dios 9 Saudi Arabia 58 Seattle, Washington 17, 55 Sea World 48 shan 11–12

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 51–53 oxidizing agent 36 pao chuk 12 Pennsylvania Fireworks Display 47

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Siena, Italy 16 Simmons, Ernie 7, 57–59 Simmons, Howard 30–31 slow match 43 Souza, Bob 48 Souza, Manuel 48 Space Shuttle 56–57 squibs 49 “Stars and Stripes Forever” 48

Universal 48 U.S. Coast Guard 51, 52 Warner Brothers 48 Washington, D.C. 40, 41 Washington Monument 40, 41 White House 40 Wong, Stephanie 56–57 Zambelli, Antonio 46 Zambelli Fireworks Internationale 7, 26, 30–31, 45–46, 57, 58

trigonometry 39 Tultepec, Mexico 9

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PICTURE CREDITS page:

8: © Reuters/CORBIS 13: © Christel Gerstenberg/CORBIS 19: © Bettmann/CORBIS 27: © WILL BURGESS/Reuters/ Corbis 32: © ANNEBICQUE BERNARD/ CORBIS SYGMA 34: © ANNEBICQUE BERNARD/ CORBIS SYGMA 36: © Royalty-Free/Corbis 41: © Wally McNamee/CORBIS 50: © Rick Doyle/CORBIS 55: © Paul A. Souders/CORBIS

Cover: © Paul A. Souders/CORBIS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR MARY FIRESTONE grew up in North Dakota. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her 11-year-old son, Adam, their pet beagle, Charlie, and cat, Rigley. She has a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a master's degree in writing from Hamline University. When she isn't writing articles for magazines and newspapers and books for children, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her son.

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