A Grand Pré businessman was in Pictou County last weekend for the Maritime Fire Chief Association’s conference and tradeshow.
Fireworks FX president Fred Wade said he likes to be visible at the show because most certified community firing teams for professional fireworks are the fire departments.
Anyone over the age of 18 can buy and handle consumer fireworks, which his company sells, but for anyone looking to work with professional fireworks needs to take the federal explosive regulatory course.
Wade said the two products are the same – except in power and size.
“The big version of that is professional fireworks, which do the same thing as the consumer products, but are much more powerful,” he said. “They go much higher and have bigger bursts, but do the same thing.”
Fireworks FX also sells and works with pyrotechnics used at concerts, both indoors and outdoors, sporting events and other special events.
“They’re made to very specific tolerances,” Wade said. “They will produce their effect exactly the same way over and over again. If it’s made to go 20 feet high and last for 20 seconds it will do that over and over again. With a consumer or professional firework, it may go to the left, to the right or not as high as it’s supposed to.
“That’s why we require a safety distance for fireworks display, to account for the unreliability of the fireworks themselves.”
Wade said his company imports all the fireworks it sells from China, Spain, Portugal and Italy because it’s significantly cheaper to manufacture the product there. It has been a number of years since there was a major fireworks manufacturer in the country, which was based out of Ontario.
“Nobody can compete with China, whether it’s making cars or making fireworks – it’s just so cheap.”
The ability to sell cheaper fireworks and the improvement of consumer fireworks that has improved the industry, Wade added. Fireworks FX has become increasingly busy because of the fascination and home use for personal shows.
“As fireworks improve they become more popular,” he said. “You go to a beach party and a buddy brings a $50 box of fireworks and you love it, so you want to do that. This time everybody throws $20 into the hat and you get $100 box.
“It kind of keeps growing because as people attend functions everybody loves it. It’s such great entertainment.”
A Grand Pré businessman was in Pictou County last weekend for the Maritime Fire Chief Association’s conference and tradeshow.
Fireworks FX president Fred Wade said he likes to be visible at the show because most certified community firing teams for professional fireworks are the fire departments.
Anyone over the age of 18 can buy and handle consumer fireworks, which his company sells, but for anyone looking to work with professional fireworks needs to take the federal explosive regulatory course.
Wade said the two products are the same – except in power and size.
“The big version of that is professional fireworks, which do the same thing as the consumer products, but are much more powerful,” he said. “They go much higher and have bigger bursts, but do the same thing.”
Fireworks FX also sells and works with pyrotechnics used at concerts, both indoors and outdoors, sporting events and other special events.
“They’re made to very specific tolerances,” Wade said. “They will produce their effect exactly the same way over and over again. If it’s made to go 20 feet high and last for 20 seconds it will do that over and over again. With a consumer or professional firework, it may go to the left, to the right or not as high as it’s supposed to.
“That’s why we require a safety distance for fireworks display, to account for the unreliability of the fireworks themselves.”
Wade said his company imports all the fireworks it sells from China, Spain, Portugal and Italy because it’s significantly cheaper to manufacture the product there. It has been a number of years since there was a major fireworks manufacturer in the country, which was based out of Ontario.
“Nobody can compete with China, whether it’s making cars or making fireworks – it’s just so cheap.”
The ability to sell cheaper fireworks and the improvement of consumer fireworks that has improved the industry, Wade added. Fireworks FX has become increasingly busy because of the fascination and home use for personal shows.
“As fireworks improve they become more popular,” he said. “You go to a beach party and a buddy brings a $50 box of fireworks and you love it, so you want to do that. This time everybody throws $20 into the hat and you get $100 box.
“It kind of keeps growing because as people attend functions everybody loves it. It’s such great entertainment.”
