Local firework show

[Engineer Cat]

Hey Guys, is there a way to find out which display company is doing a local show? I just noticed that here in Northern NJ there is a Passaic County Fair very close to my house and on Friday and Sat night they are doing fireworks. I would like to volunteer my time to help setup the show for the experience if they need help and if I could find out which display company it is.

Thanks!

[displayfireworks1]

Call the location and ask to speak to the officials in charge. They can tell you which company they hired for the display. Usually a day before the event is too late, I assume you mean this Friday and Saturday night. Not sure how some of the display companies operated. Usually the lead shooter is the one responsible to hire out and most importantly find the helpers. If you watched my videos you know what all is involved in setting up these displays. I don't recommend anyone work for free on a paid display. You can also just show up when the truck pulls in and introduce yourself and your experience. Who knows they may hire you out for the day.
Last I checked a helper can work one show without the ATF Employee Possessor background check. The shooter should have the new person complete the form at some point in the day. I know companies I work for will not pay the new person until the ATF Employee Possessor form is turned in. Even if you work for free , because its an In Commerce event , the Employee Possessor form is still required.

[Engineer Cat]

Thanks Dave, sorry for the late reply. Couldn't post due to the forum issues but yes, it was this past weekend. I need to find these things out way sooner next time.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Even if you work for free , because its an In Commerce event , the Employee Possessor form is still required.

Well that's interesting. I worked on the Tampa show for two days and I was never asked to to fill out any form(s). I didn't get paid either.

[BMoore]

Well that's interesting. I worked on the Tampa show for two days and I was never asked to to fill out any form(s). I didn't get paid either.

I think the Employee Possessor form is supposed to be filed with the ATF within 30 days of starting employment. Since most assistants are independent contractors your employment is only on the day of the shoot. If you aren't getting paid and there is no real record of you having been there I can see where the form could be neglected, perhaps inadvertently.

The company I shoot for will not let new assistants step foot on the shoot site without the Employee Possessor form completed AND clearance received by the ATF so it's sometimes a couple months process before someone can actually work a show.

[displayfireworks1]

I think the Employee Possessor form is supposed to be filed with the ATF within 30 days of starting employment. Since most assistants are independent contractors your employment is only on the day of the shoot. If you aren't getting paid and there is no real record of you having been there I can see where the form could be neglected, perhaps inadvertently.

The company I shoot for will not let new assistants step foot on the shoot site without the Employee Possessor form completed AND clearance received by the ATF so it's sometimes a couple months process before someone can actually work a show.

The ATF has a set of regulations about the time frame for this "Employee Possessor" form and background investigation for new people. Each individual Display Fireworks business can make their own restrictions on the time frame MORE than the regulations , but not LESS than the regulations.
People in this display business know when and what to ask for. For example one company I worked for would ask for CDL Hazmat drivers to "Self Report" violations on their driver license record in late August. Why do you think they pick that particular month of the year? Because they were smart enough not to ask for it in June just before the July 4th holiday. Lots of fun stuff to know about this explosive ( display fireworks ) business.
Don't use the behavior and requirements from one display company and assume it mirrors the ATF or DOT requirements.

[Salutecake]

I'm not sure of the rules but it seems the bigger companies require the employee possessor form along with some type of wage paid to you. I might be mistaken and perhaps some one can clear this up but I seem to have to fill one out for each company I shoot for and they take about a month to get the paperwork back. Also by getting paid, you should be covered un the companies insurance policy and also unemployment compensation if something should happen. I could be wrong on all of this.
One or two of the companies I shoot for actually want you or really, make you, take their own shooting course before you can shoot with them.

Hey Dave just remembered from the post above about your web site being down, just FYI, in this form I get "This form is not secure. Autofill has been turned off".

[BMoore]

I'm not sure of the rules but it seems the bigger companies require the employee possessor form along with some type of wage paid to you. I might be mistaken and perhaps some one can clear this up but I seem to have to fill one out for each company I shoot for and they take about a month to get the paperwork back. Also by getting paid, you should be covered un the companies insurance policy and also unemployment compensation if something should happen. I could be wrong on all of this.
One or two of the companies I shoot for actually want you or really, make you, take their own shooting course before you can shoot with them

That's pretty much been my experience as well. For most new shooters it's up to a 2 month process to get to step foot on a shoot site. The ATF rule is that Employee Possessor form must be filed within 30 days. The individual may start work immediately provided they are removed if the ATF issues a denial. An employee possessor is needed for anyone handling explosives for a licensee. You could technically hire someone to just set up racks or just drive the truck without registering them as an employee possessor.

As Dave said, each company can set policy that is more restrictive than the ATF and I'm guessing that's often the case, especially for larger companies. The company's legal counsel, insurance provider, human resources and others are all going to have input into this. You can't hardly work for anyone without passing a background check these days so forcing new assistants to wait out the ATF clearance process makes logical sense. Your results will vary, but in my personal experience there is absolutely no way you can just show up at the shoot site and ask to be put to work.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

"in my personal experience there is absolutely no way you can just show up at the shoot site and ask to be put to work."

Yet that is exactly what me and my friend did to work the Tampa show this year. We both worked two days building racks, loading tubes, fusing shells, etc. No one ever asked us to fill out a single form.

I'm not saying that to be argumentative. Just saying it to show that yes... It can and does happen.

[Birdman]

To each their own but you'd never catch me volunteering for a for profit display company. Maybe if I were young with absolutely no experience and it was a career I wanted to peruse. I know how exhausting it can be setting up my small 1.4 shows. 1.3 shows just mean even more bigger heavier racks and shells.

Rick, I hope you at least got a t-shirt or something for your efforts.

[BMoore]

To each their own but you'd never catch me volunteering for a for profit display company. Maybe if I were young with absolutely no experience and it was a career I wanted to peruse. I know how exhausting it can be setting up my small 1.4 shows. 1.3 shows just mean even more bigger heavier racks and shells.

Rick, I hope you at least got a t-shirt or something for your efforts.

Ah come one….Isn’t front row view of the show payment enough? LOL. I’ve had a few folks volunteer to help me with my backyard show. At the end of the night I slip them $100 out of my own pocket. I figure If they realized how brutal a job it really is they probably wouldn’t have volunteered.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Rick, I hope you at least got a t-shirt or something for your efforts.

Lol... I got a very dirty truck to clean and the satisfaction knowing I did a good deed for the city I live in.

And no... I will never do that again!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Ah come one….Isn’t front row view of the show payment enough?

I didn't even get to see the show because I was at home shooting my own show.

[Salutecake]

You ought to try it sometimes Birdman. One of the last shows I shot, was in a farmers field, the first 20 yards was nothing but mud, we spent more time pulling out the trucks, and ended up lugging the racks about 100 yards into the field. Luckily only a few 5 and 6 inch racks, the bulk 3's and 4's, and believe me I am getting way to old for dragging racks that far.
If you like setting this stuff off, payment is or always seems not worth it, but the front row seat is worth it.
In this particular show the line up, was the setup, E-fired so we were all back from it, then the crew and right behind us the local fire department. The height of my entertainment was when the gas mine went off and all the fire people behind us almost s--t their pants. lol, pretty impressive when your not expecting it.