Looking for Workers for Firework Shows In PA and NJ

[pyro1361]

PA company is looking for workers for the 2014 Firework Season, If interested please email me at zach@zypyrotechnics.com. We are looking for guys to work display shows, load unload trucks. alot of our shows are in the Harrisburg Area, and NEPA.



Zach

[Donnbishop]

What is the pay?

[displayfireworks1]

They usually say if how much money do I make is the first question you really do not want to shoot fireworks. LOL It may be best to handle compensation questions in private. I do not want companies looking for help to openly post this sort of thing. Best to send a private message. If these companies have to publicly post responses to pay they may be reluctant to post help wanted comments on the forums.

[Donnbishop]

Apologies DS1. Just thought it was a proper question since it was a company asking for workers rather a hobbyist just looking for helpers. You got the key and the gold.

[displayfireworks1]

I think you know what the proper questions are, any job interview I ever went on I usually ask that question towards the end of the interview. And even then they never answer it, the employer usually has to make a decision to hire you first. I think when someone is looking to hire you or me they need to know something about you such as your experience and CDL etc.
As the fireworks season approaches I hope more of the display companies add new people on, I know Zach at IPI has helped many fireworks enthusiast I send his way get their ATF and several of them are now working professional displays with him.
If there are any fireworks enthusiast out near the Harrisburg Pennsylvania of the state and you want to get more involved in the learning about display fireworks , professional displays and getting your ATF license I would recommend you give Zach at International Pyrotechnic Importers an email. The email address he has listed is his display company end of IPI. For those new into all of this you will be more valuable to a display company if you are available to work the week of July 4th. Having a CDL with a hazardous materials endorsement is a big plus. When I got my CDL and H-endorsement I did it in my car. Those Budget trucks are somehow classified you can drive them with a passenger car drivers license. You still need the CDL part of it. I may cover the CDL drivers license in a future video.

[Donnbishop]

Yep. The CDL and Hazmat are both invaluable to have.

[PyroManiacs]

The pay = Shoot pro fireworks! :)

[mike2255]

I think if a company is publicly looking for workers the pay should be known publicly. That is a legit question for people to know before they even get involved in the interview process. Why waste their time reaching out to the company if the pay is not going to be worth your while?

[PuroJon]

Mike, did you check out the company you are talking about? They have been doing pyro shows for about 25 years. How many people have heard about Zarco Exhibition Organizers? Like others have said - its not about the pay, its about the experience. If you can find a pyro company to gain your hours with who can pay enough that you show a profit, jump on it. In most situations you are lucky to get your expenses met; and are happy for that.

Just not that easy to 'break into' the display biz. Kind of confused why other pyros would infer ulterior motives. Heck, I wanted to thank Zak for offering the opportunity.

[boomboomtime]

I think if a company is publicly looking for workers the pay should be known publicly. That is a legit question for people to know before they even get involved in the interview process. Why waste their time reaching out to the company if the pay is not going to be worth your while?

I work for Pyrotecnico, and the helpers amount of pay is soley up to the Lead Shooter,not sure about other componies rate of pay but thaqts how it works with pyrotecnico . Ron

[mike2255]

I don't care if the company has been doing shows for 25 years or 3 months, if they want good, experienced people or even just laborers to work for them, they should be compensated for it. and im not talking about dinner and a tshirt. They should be compensated monetarily or those workers wont be around too long and the company will be right back at it looking for more workers.

Would you rather have the same group of guys handling your shows or do you want to have to retrain people every year because the guys that worked for you didn't get paid enough so they said the hell with it.

[bweaver1985]

I don't care if the company has been doing shows for 25 years or 3 months, if they want good, experienced people or even just laborers to work for them, they should be compensated for it. and im not talking about dinner and a tshirt. They should be compensated monetarily or those workers wont be around too long and the company will be right back at it looking for more workers.

Would you rather have the same group of guys handling your shows or do you want to have to retrain people every year because the guys that worked for you didn't get paid enough so they said the hell with it.

The industry has a high turnover due to this. However in the long run the people who really care about the industry will stay around with variable pay. In the 3 years in the business, doing over 60 shows. Some shows you make good money some shows you make little to no money at all. It comes with the territory.

With the company i work for which is one of the top. A lot of the people are actually contractors not even full time employees of the company.

[PuroJon]

I don't care if the company has been doing shows for 25 years or 3 months, if they want good, experienced people or even just laborers to work for them, they should be compensated for it. and im not talking about dinner and a tshirt. They should be compensated monetarily or those workers wont be around too long and the company will be right back at it looking for more workers.


But why do you assume that the OP was asking for free, uncompensated help? Just because they did not publish the pay rate? At a loss to understand why you are so negative against someone who simply advertised for 'help wanted'.

What is your specific history or experience with this firm that warrants such a negative perspective?

[Donnbishop]

Guys, the question was answered in a private message by Zack. I think what everyone is talking about is DS1's joke of "if you have to ask for pay to work a show then your not serious." It's all good.

[mike2255]

I don't know anything about the company that is looking for help, therefore i have nothing bad nor
Good about them. Im sure they are just looking for help like all companies are.

I just have an issue with the fact that there are people
Out there that will offer their services for free or even have it be costly to them. This pushes the people out of the business that are making to make a little "extra" cash. We all
Know that free labor is cheaper then paid labor. So as a company owner would you rather have experienced help that makes sure the job gets done correct or free labor who is just out there for the thrill of it? This has become a big question in the firework display industry

[Donnbishop]

Mike2255, I do agree with the fact that some guys would work pyrotecnics for free and that in itself boggles my mind why someone would give their work and time for no pay. The weekend warriors usually don't have to load the trucks, load the bombs, unload the trucks, set up, load the truck back up, and unload the truck again. They aren't in the back of semis or 25 foot trucks unloading 4, 5, 6, inch racks. The people that would do it for free usually show up when the racks are set, load bombs, do some wiring, and thats it. I'm sure operators realize that its against federal law to not compensate. Remember, someone steps on a nail, cuts a finger, gets a scrape. You have other issues to deal with.

With that said, when screwing around in a background or have a show that isn't produced by a 'for profit' company, by all means, it is fun. But again, a wise man once told me, "You never know when your gonna get that one shell."

[displayfireworks1]

Donnbishop
You quoted me wrong, in one of your post.
You thought you heard and actually quoted. "if you have to ask for pay to work a show then your not serious.".
.
I said. “They usually say if how much money do I make is the first question you really do not want to shoot fireworks”
.
.
Be careful and read exactly what someone is saying, I can tell this is a hot issue for you and you actually doubled your number of total post on this. I am sure when a professional company is advertising for help they are going to pay for the help.
I have been on all ends of this fireworks stuff, professional fireworks are a massive amount of work and labor. A large majority of it is general labor, lift and loading or unloading and clean up. This is how most people start out in professional fireworks. Over the years I watched people younger than me fall apart in the sun loading and unloading trucks. By the time the end of the night arrives and it is time to load the truck back up, they look like they need an ambulance. LOL then they are a few, believe me a very few they can do all the work and clean up with the long hours. Now imagine you are the fireworks company how do you determine who these few good people are and how much to pay them? Most of the good ones develop into lead shooters then have the job of finding labor to help load and reload truck etc. Like the saying goes it is hard to find good help.
Of course you should be compensated for working a professional display, I am not sure why you are assuming these companies are not paying people. I suspect you had a bad experience along the way.

[Donnbishop]

I knew it was something of that nature that was jokingly said. I didn't say anything about not paying. I was just responding to mike2255's post about that subject.

[Donnbishop]

And yes, it is funny when people don't realize the work on the bigger shows. Or even say, shows on the beach, on a boardwalk, on roof tops, behind rooftops, in rafters, on top of stadiums. How about on a barge during a competition when your out there for 24 hours? Maybe in the dessert with no shade. Now that i think of it, those $3,000 show are just fine...lol

[bweaver1985]

And yes, it is funny when people don't realize the work on the bigger shows. Or even say, shows on the beach, on a boardwalk, on roof tops, behind rooftops, in rafters, on top of stadiums. How about on a barge during a competition when your out there for 24 hours? Maybe in the dessert with no shade. Now that i think of it, those $3,000 show are just fine...lol

Those are the fun shows lol... I remember spending 5 days between 2 barge shows. Climbing to the top of the scoreboards & light towers at a stadium in the middle of the night is great haha.