Pyrotechnician and Display Fireworks Information

Subjects I get many e-mails from U.S. residents about, come in these general categories:

1. Can I buy those big fireworks I see pictured in your web site?

2. How can I get licensed to fire firework displays?

3. How do I tie the clove hitch knot, the one pyrotechnicians use?

I receive enough e-mails about these subjects that I think it worth doing my best to answer these questions on this page.

Can I buy those big fireworks I see pictured in your web site?

First, let me say that display fireworks should not be thought of as just a larger version of the consumer fireworks that can be bought in firework stands and superstores. Display fireworks, officially known as 1.3G fireworks, are controlled differently by state and federal agencies than 1.4G consumer fireworks. Consumer fireworks are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Display fireworks are classified as Low Explosives by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). This is the agency that has direct control over display fireworks. If handled improperly, or in a fire or explosion, display fireworks represent a possible mass explosion hazard. Consumer fireworks do not. Consumer fireworks are designed to be sold to the general public, display fireworks definitely are not.

Only companies and individuals possessing valid permits from the BATF may manufacture, sell, transfer, or buy 1.3G display fireworks. State agencies usually control these activities from the state level as well. Display fireworks require the utmost care and safety. They should only be handled and used by individuals properly trained in the use of 1.3G materials. If a display shell hits a pyrotechnician or crew member's head or torso as it is fired out of the mortar, death is an almost certain result. If a display shell or some other display fireworks explodes while being held in the hands, serious injury, very serious burns or death may be the result.

How can I get licensed to fire firework displays?

Some states have formal pyrotechnic operator licensing procedures, some do not. Those that do not still require display fireworks be used safely by companies and individuals who have been trained in their use and are knowledgeable of the firework laws in that state. The best internet resource for learning about the firework laws in your state is http://www.fireworksafety.com. In that web site you will see a button titled STATE LAWS. Clicking on that button will take you to a page where you can choose the state you are interested in. An overview of that state's consumer and display firework laws will be presented, as well as contact information for the state agency that controls fireworks. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your computer to view this information. If needed, it can be downloaded for free by clicking the Get Acrobat Reader icon on that page. Please note that there is much more good firework information on other pages of that web site too.

In states that formally license display shooters, these are usually the basic requirements:

1. Find out what information must be learned in your state to pass the state licensing exam. This may be (1) state provided information, (2) based on the National Fire Protection Association document NFPA 1123, Code for Fireworks Display, or (3) based on the Pyrotechnics Guild International Incorporated (PGII) safety course.

2. Experience working on the setup of actual firework displays under the guidance of a licensed pyrotechnic operator in your state. There will usually be a stated minimum number of displays in your state. In Texas, for example, it is five displays.

3. Pass the state examination in your state.

4 Pay a required licensing fee.

5. Pay a license renewal fee at some regular interval in the future. (Usually annually)

For the specifics in your state, contact your state's agency listed in the overview information found above.

How do you tie the clove hitch knot?

Click here to see the best graphic I have ever found. CLOVE HITCH