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In our final firing section give advice
on what to look out for during a display, how to keep
things moving, multiple firing, "Plan B"
in case something goes wrong, and with some relief,
the end of the display.
Thank you to The
Firework Store for their kind sponsorship of this
section so that we can continue to offer this valuable
information free to all our visitors.
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Displaying does require concentration throughout.
Keep an eye out for:
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Potential failures (eg. failing to go off).
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Any safety concerns.
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Crowd problems.
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Other firers - make sure everyone's OK and
no one has got into difficulties.
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Fall out - make sure it's landing in the right
place!
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It's not a good idea to be involved with firing AND
marshalling. You can only do so many things at once.
Try and get someone not connected with the firing
to take responsibility for crowd control. It helps
too if you can split up responsibilities on the field.
Perhaps you can fire cakes and candles, and someone
else can deal with the rockets. Or each firer can
have a line of fireworks they are responsible for.
This approach means you can also have a breather during
the display, and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
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Gaps between fireworks are your worst enemy. It's
important to keep things moving.
To this end, it's better to overlap the fireworks
than try and go for perfection where one stops and
another starts. To be frank you'll never do it! You
have to contend with varying durations and fuses.
In fact you would have had to let off every firework
in your display before, timed it, timed the fuse,
and hope the current one is exactly the same!
It's very hard to judge when a firework is going
to stop, and to light the next one just in time so
it starts as the first one ends. Don't leave it too
late - that's where the gaps come in. Don't be frightened
of "premature lighting" (it's nothing to be ashamed
of lads, heheh!). Remember the more fireworks going
off at once, the better the effect will look! Here's
some advice:
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Have a running order in your favour. Rotate
the effects so you can overlap from one to another
and it will look natural.
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Items with a small number of shots can be counted
out by hand. For example, if it has eight shots,
light the next fuse as number five or six is
going up. This takes practice but can be quite
effective.
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If you want a rocket effect followed by a ground
based firework, light the ground based one straight
after the rocket - before it takes off. It'll
start just as the rocket is breaking.
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Never use one shot wonders in isolation. Mines
are the worst - you'll never be able to have
a cake finish, a mine go off, and another firework
start straight after. Work them in with other
fireworks instead - for example, light a line
of fountains, and a line of mines behind. The
fountains will give a pretty ground effect while
the mines will add some sudden aerial power
- but the fountains will continue, giving you
a chance to light the next firework and carry
on. Rockets are another tough one. Having a
cake going off on the ground is a good way to
keep things flowing, while rockets are going
off overhead.
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Remember, it takes practice! Gaps are inevitable
for your first few displays. Try and use fewer,
bigger, items to start with while you find your
feet.
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Always use portfires - don't even think about
messing around with a taper or worse, a cigarette
lighter.
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We should remind you that firework durations
can and do vary even between similar items.
The durations in our reviews are indicative
of the specific firework under test and should
be taken only as a guide.
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Attempting to set off more than one item at a time
should only be considered if you have taken stringent
safety measures in setting the fireworks up and you
have considerable experience with fireworks. If
in doubt, don't try it.
Incredibly,
this amazing barrage was created with normal
category three fireworks, without any kind of electrical
firing or
fuse modifications. Team Sky Monkeys achieved this
with multiple candles.
(You can see some very good displays including this
one in the SPC
feature).
What multiple firing can achieve:
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Saturated effects. You can double up small
cakes and make a great effect similar to a bigger
firework.
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Or, you can let off two big fireworks and really
fill the sky.
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You can mix effects, eg. a quiet but pretty
cake with a noisy one, different colours at
either side of the display, a line of fountains
or mines, or simultaneous ground and aerial
effects.
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There are two approaches to multiple firing. The
safest is to use more than one firer, each lighting
one firework. It sounds simple but this works very
well and is the approach most displayers take. Rehearse
and coordinate what you're going to light. Space the
fireworks out for added safety.
Set the
fireworks up in your favour. Here, two firers can
create a barrage
of eight larger rockets by starting at one end and
working quickly along. By the
time the first goes up, each firer will be a safe
distance down the line.
The other way is for one firer to light several fireworks
at the same time:
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If in doubt, don't. Multiple launches should
only be attempted when you're experienced with
fireworks and appreciate the short duration
that fuses can burn for. You should also know
the fireworks you intend to set off together.
So don't try and be a hero on your first display
or you could lose an appendage - or worse someone
else's - if you do.
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Time scales are VERY VERY tight. Remember the
clock starts ticking as soon as the FIRST fuse
is alight. We cannot stress enough that once
the first one is burning you only have a few
seconds at most to get the others going and
to get away. Don't fart about or dither. If
other fuses don't take immediately, forget them
and get away.
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Don't be too ambitious. Don't attempt to light
more than two or three at the same time. Use
multiple launches SPARINGLY in your display.
Most fireworks are fine on their own.
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Never attempt this without a portfire in a
gloved hand. It's the only thing hot enough
to light the fuses on contact and is not affected
by the wind. Don't even think of trying this
with matches, a taper, or a lighter!
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Set up the fireworks in your favour. The fireworks
must be physically close together to allow you
a chance to light them in those few seconds.
Rockets should be in a rack with the fuses facing
the same way. Candles can be paired up on the
same stake with fuses next to each other.
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There can be no doubt that more than one firework
together can make a great and effective barrage and
give the impression of much bigger fireworks. However,
be very careful and don't forget please aim to be
away from the fireworks within a few seconds of the
first fuse igniting.
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Our separate section called "Display
Advice" gives you plenty of tips for each type
of display. Take a look through the different topics
for plenty of tips and advice and remember, if you
have any ideas to share with other readers, let us
know.
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A "Plan B" or alternative in case of problems is
essential in any display. You need to have contingency
plans to cope with:
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Intended fireworks not starting.
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Problems with a firework (eg finishing too
soon).
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The key point is to rehearse what you are each going
to fire, and when, and agree what you'll do in case
of problems. For example, if one firework does not
light, will you move on to the next one - and if so,
what will the signal be to other firers to do this?
If you get out of order with each other, will you
just carry on, will one firer try to compensate or
will one firer issue new instructions?
Take time to sort out these points before you start.
When you're running around displaying and something
goes out of sync, it's too late to redo your firing
order. You'll have to improvise (although improvisation
with fireworks is common and most of the time the
audience is none the wiser as long as something's
going off!).
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Serious firework problems are rare, although they
are well publicised in the press. Fireworks is an
emotive subject with both ardent supporters and vigorous
campaigners against them. Statistically, firework
safety is improving thanks in part to legislation
that has removed potentially lethal items from untrained
public use such as aerial shells.
It's important however not to get complacent. You
need a 100% attitude to safety at all times. The aim
of this section is to educate readers so they may
use fireworks more safely, but we appreciate sometimes
problems occur which may be out of your direct control.
Let's take a look at potential problems, and how
to cope with them - with this information we hope
you can pre-empt any disasters in the making!
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Fall out in the spectator area: Prevention
is better than cure here - you should check
wind, firework angles and distances before you
start. If the wind is so strong that despite
the safety distance it's blowing debris back
towards the audience, you should stop the display.
Otherwise if it's just one firework, make sure
the others are angled correctly (including rocket
tubes). Never attempt to move or angle a firework
already going off. Consider having marshals
along the crowd line anyway for big displays
to move people back if required.
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Firework malfunction: This is rare particularly
now all fireworks sold to the public are BS
compliant. Common causes of malfunctioning are
positioning the firework upside down, failing
to remove any weatherproofing you've put over
the top, letting the firework get damp or wet
(from rain or dew) or over tightening string
or ties used to secure them to stakes. If a
firework malfunctions you'll need to do an on-the-spot
risk assessment. Warn other firers and get well
away. Make sure stray shots, if any, are not
traveling towards spectators (move them back
if the are). Keep an eye on other fireworks
to ensure there is no cross ignition (see below).
Keep well clear of that firework for some time
and never attempt to move or stop it while it's
going off.
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Cross ignition: One of the advantages
to setting up all your fireworks first is even
in the rare event one does cross ignite from
the sparks from another, it's already in it's
safe firing position - and the worst that happens
is the crowd sees something out of sequence!
If your fireworks are set up close together,
a tin foil top can be effective on each one
(remove prior to firing). However, prevention
is again better than cure - don't pack your
fireworks too close, don't put fireworks near
fountains or wheels, and don't leave fireworks
lying around. If you are setting up and firing
one by one (eg in the back garden), keep unused
fireworks in a sturdy spark proof box, and away
from the firing area.
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A fuse burns but nothing happens: Annoying
this one, again rare but no compensation if
it happens to you. Get well away. Treat the
firework as if it was still going to go off.
Do not approach it for at least 30 mins. Consider
the firework a dud, do NOT try and reuse it
and do NOT try and re-fuse it! Please note that
letting fireworks get wet or damp can cause
this problem.
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Injury to firer: Unlikely if you take
all the precautions stated here, but if it happens
remember personal safety is paramount. Get the
firer clear of any other fireworks and attend
to the injury as appropriate. It's worth having
a first aid kit, firework extinguisher and mobile
phone on site in case of such emergencies.
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Injury to spectator (during the display):
Stop the display and attend at once.
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Crowd problems (eg. moving into safety zone):
Hopefully you'll have a marshal to deal. If
not, stop the display. Do not continue until
the crowd is in the correct place. Remember
even if a member of the crowd acts dangerously
and they get injured they could still potentially
sue you. Sad but true.
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Some things
look worse than they are. Here the casing of this
large SIB was
simply set alight by the fountains it contained. It
smouldered for a few hours
during which time it was given a wide berth.
Every now
and again you'll get a firework that only partly fires.
This is a fact
of life with fireworks. Contact your supplier - they
will be happy to refund you
(don't dispose of the firework until you've spoken
to them, in case they want it returned).
Serious problems are rare if you TAKE CARE! Never
take safety for granted and never take risks.
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Congratulations, you've fired your display and hopefully
its gone without a hitch. As you enjoy the moment
and soak up the crowd's applause, remember to keep
an eye out for safety concerns even at this stage:
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Check no fireworks are smouldering (this can
be indicative of a malfunction) or still sparking.
If any are, keep clear and warn other firers.
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Leave spent fireworks for a while to make sure
they have all finished. We recommend at least
15 mins.
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Make sure the crowd stays off the firework
area until you've cleared up!
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Check all firers are OK and there are no reported
incidents with the crowd.
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Check all portfires are safely extinguished.
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Now for the worst job of all: Clearing
up....
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