by Madeline Watson

Job DescriptionA pyrotechnician is responsible for the design, setup, and discharge of a public fireworks display.

He/she is knowledgeable about federal, state, and local laws regarding the safe setup and discharge of a fireworks display.

He trains and supervises his own crew, who may or may not have to be licensed depending on which state you operate in.

During most shows, an operator acts as an overseer, who goes between the different members of his crew to make sure all aspects of the show are set up properly.

Skills RequiredThe most important skill for a Pyrotechnic Technician is to be aware of local, state and federal laws regarding the setup and discharge of fireworks.

Technicians need to understand how to load, fuse and fire different pyrotechnic devices and learn different firing methods and procedures.

It is essential for all Pyrotechnic Technicians to know all the safety precautions that are involved in discharging fireworks.

“First off, being a pyrotechnician is seldom a career. The only day you're really guaranteed work is on the Fourth of July. So I consider it more of a hobby. After gaining experience, I now shoot between 20-30 shows a year, hardly enough to make a living off of.”

-Mike Tockstein, Pro Pyro

Math Involved“The color of aerial fireworks come invariably from stars, small pellets of firework composition which contain all the necessary ingredients for generating colored light or other special effects. They may be as tiny as peas or as large as strawberries. A typical red star might contain Potassium perchlorate, 67% by weight Strontium carbonate 13.5% Pine root pitch (fuel) 13.5% Rice starch (binder) 6%     Care must be exercised in selecting the ingredients. The composition must be safe and stable in storage. In addition, it must work as expected and burn with a red color once lit.”

“For a deep red we need only SrCl and SrOH emission - and nothing else. To generate the emitting molecules at a sufficiently high temperature, a fuel-oxidiser system (pine root pitch - potassium perchlorate) is used. Strontium carbonate is used as the Sr source, and chlorine comes from potassium perchlorate (KClO4 --> K+ +Cl- + 2 O2). An excess of fuel is used to prevent the formation of SrO, which would solidify in the flame and emit grey body radiation. This will result in a "washed-out" color. Too much fuel would be a disadvantage, too, because the glowing carbon particles quickly overwhelm the red color.”

Educational Requirements

There are no formal education requirements when becoming a Pyrotechnic Technician. To become a Pyrotechnic Technician, a prospective student will have to find a reputable fireworks display company to begin training.

Students are subject to classroom and hands-on training and then work as an apprentice for three to six outdoor fireworks shows. Students will then become assistants and will train for one to three years on fireworks shows until they become proficient and are ready for a promotion to a position as a Pyrotechnic Technician.

Average Yearly Salary

• Pyrotechnicians are considered "independent contractors" in most cases. So there is no set pyrotechnician salary.

• You are paid on a show by show basis. Typically, display companies will pay an operator a percentage of the actual show cost.

• The bigger the show, the more money you make. A pyrotechnician can make anywhere from $100 to well over $2000.

LocationThere is no national certification or licensing requirements for pyrotechnicians in the United States, however, many individual states implement their own certification or licensing programs.

Not all states have agreements in regards to honouring another states certification, so it is not uncommon for pyrotechnicians to have certifications from multiple states. Certain states require certification to store, handle and operate fireworks; other states use the same certification for all pyrotechnics.

Works CitedDevantier, Alecia T., and Carol Turkington. "Pyrotechnician." Extraordinary

Jobs forAdventurers. New York NY: Ferguson, 2006. Print. 01 June 2010.

"How Do I Become a Pyrotechnician?" American Pyrotechnics Association. Web. 02 June 2010. <http://www.americanpyro.com/General Info/pyrotechnician.html>.

"Pyrotechnological Principles." FREEBIE'S Fireworks. Web. 2 June 2010. <http://freebiesfireworks.com/pyroprinciples.htm>.

"Pyrotechnician." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.Web. 01 June 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrotechnician>.

"Salary Stories: Pyrotechnician Salary: Fireworks for Pay." PayScale Blogs. Web. 2 June 2010. <http://blogs.payscale.com/salarystories/2007/04/pyrotechnician_.html>.