PYROTECHNICIANS GET A BANG OUT OF HOLIDAY WORK; TEAMWORK IS KEY FOR JACKSON GROUP SHOOTING FIREWORKS

JACKSON -- By day they're businessmen, mechanics, a truck driver, a general contractor, a restaurant manager and shift worker. After the sun goes down they become the Jackson Jaycee PyroManiac Squad.

Don't worry. You're homes and businesses are safe. This squad is not comprised of arsonists.

They are the pyrotechnicians who will set off tonight's (9:30 p.m.) 45-minute fireworks display at the Jackson Jaycee July Fourth Picnic celebration in the city park.

Although the work sounds like a lot of fun and excitement and members readily admit they get a "bang" out of their work they also point out the job is very serious because of the danger involved. That's because they aren't shooting off the typical "backyard" variety of fireworks.

The fireworks that will be set off tonight in Jackson, and in thousands of other communities across the United States, are classified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as Class B explosives. That's just one level below dynamite and other high explosives, artillery shells and bombs that are labeled and classified as Class A high explosives.

In contrast, all over-the-counter fireworks are labeled as a Class C explosive, common fireworks.

Each member of the 12-man team is trained to handle specific duties, according to team member and Jackson Firefighter Curt Sparks, who also acts as safety officer during the fireworks display. Sparks has been a member of the Jackson Jaycee fireworks team for 14 years.

"We have 12 people on the team because we fire all but a few of the shells manually. The shells are loaded and fired from their mortars by hand instead of firing them electrically," Sparks explained.

"This year, we'll set off in excess of 150 shells that will all be loaded by hand during the 45-minute show. The shells for the finale, and two eight-inch shells, will be pre-loaded before the show starts. Because of the concussion from the blast of the two eight-inch shells, we'll detonate them electrically from about 70 feet away. Altogether, we'll set off over 200 shells."

Sparks said the fireworks team consists of handlers, loaders, and two shooters. The team works much like a Civil War artillery battery. The handlers arrange the shells on the ground according to size ... and well away from the mortars. The shells are covered at all times by a fireproof cover to prevent sparks and burning embers from igniting the explosive shells.

During the show, the loaders walk to the handlers, who hand them a shell. The loader then carries the shell to one of the mortars mounted in the ground and places the shell in the mortar with the fuse draped outside.

The shooters walk along the mortars and ignite the fuse of each shell with a railroad fuse attached to a three-foot broom handle.

"The way we operate, somebody (handler or loader) has a shell in their hand pretty well the entire 45-minute show," said Randy Sander, a volunteer firefighter and a squad member for four years.

Other members of the team include: David Steiner, three years, Jeff McClanahan, seven years, Dennis Cook, three years, Donnie Glueck, five years, Eddie Craft, two years, Mike Skinner, eight years, Jamie Wills, one year, Jimmie Steiner, three years, Todd Blattel, two years, and former Jackson resident, Phil Johnston, 14 years. Johnston is back in town over the holiday to help shoot off the fireworks display.

At first glance, a Class B firework shell looks innocent enough, until you get close enough to read the warning label, and realize it has the capability of killing or maiming someone if handled improperly.

Most of the shells are in the shape of a large, paper-covered sphere or ball, with a two-foot-long paper fuse that extends out from the top. Other shells are tubular shaped. The diameter of the shell determines what size mortar it is fired from.

Sparks says the firework shells that will be fired tonight range from three-inch to the two eight-inch shells.

"We have fired up to 12-inch shells; and they manufacture shells that are 36 inches in diameter," he noted.

Each shell contains black powder plus other chemicals that create the dazzling array of colors in the sky. The shell is fired from the mortar by a black powder charge located at the base or bottom of the shell. After the two-foot-long fuse is lit, it takes about a second to reach the explosive charge at the bottom of the shell. When the shell leaves the mortar, a slow-burn fuse inside the shell is ignited and burns until it sets off the main charge of black powder and chemicals.

If everything goes right, that explosion will occur safely, a couple of hundred feet in the air. But sometimes, for a variety of reasons, a shell may only go a small distance out of the mortar before it prematurely goes off. Or it may misfire. That's when the firing charge fails to ignite and the live shell is still in the mortar tube.

At that point, the safety officer takes over. Sparks watches the entire operation throughout the show. He's looking for misfires or shells that may not go high enough before exploding. When something goes wrong, he alerts the handlers and the loaders to "hit the deck" or take cover. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.

Ironically, only the safety officer sees the fireworks display, according to Sander. "If everything is going smoothly, the handlers, loaders and shooters are watching each other. If they're looking up, it means the safety officer has alerted them that something is wrong," Sander explained.

Most of the firework shells are made in China and Japan, who have over 2,000 years experience in making unusual and colorful firework shells. Some are manufactured in the United States and some in Mexico; however, the Jackson team only uses shells made in China, Japan and the United States because of their quality and dependability.

The Jaycees purchase their fireworks from a St. Louis County manufacturer, Sunset Fireworks, Ltd. Because they've received special training in setting off Class B fireworks by the manufacturer, the Jackson team is covered by the manufacturer's insurance policy.

Sparks says in the past, it cost the Jaycees as much to purchase liability insurance as it did to purchase the fireworks. "Because we're trained by the company and under their insurance coverage, our insurance cost is now only one-tenth of what it used to be," he said. In addition, the team also shoots off Class B fireworks displays for private groups in the Jackson and St. Louis area.

Although it's hot and dangerous work, and most on the team never see the fireworks going off high above them, they still enjoy their unique job because of the thrill and excitement it gives them. They know that from 10,000 to 15,000 people of all ages are enjoying the fruits of their labor.