Fire And Safety Of Pyrotechnics / Cultural Production

CULTURAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM University of Barcelona CULTURAL PRODUCTION Fire and pyrotechnics security This year's biggest pyromusical of all Spain was in Valls, it was bigger than the Merce in Barcelona. This event requires an specific coordination center where all responsibles are together, the person who negotiated with the pyrotechnic company, the civil protection technician, the local police chief, the responsible of sanity... In Valls, the castle was done next to the police station and the coordination center was in its terrace. Pyrotechnics is very easy: a professional, registered in the Ministry of Industry negotiates with the owner of the space or the city hall where pyrotechnic material will be placed. We are talking about an area of 125 meters of length and 8 meters wide, in which about 60 or 70 thousand fireworks can be thrown in 20-25 minutes. Europe regulates which kind of fireworks can be thrown and which not. And if we wanted to make implicit the national and international nature of La Corda in its promotion we had to defend it, above all, in security. And that was a hard work. The protection which firework shooters must have is a cotton t-shirt, cotton underwear, jeans, denim jacket and a leather dress. We look like astronauts with a spacesuit. A new regulation on cartridges and pyrotechnic materials was released, and some of its technical instructions come into effect in 2013. Then we will have to make an important change in distances to fulfill this regulation. The mortar has an aperture diameter through which the devices come out. That diameter multiplied by a coefficient gives the perimeter to close and keep the public away. We have a experience of many years and we think that the distances and security measures we use are the appropriates because they have been working fine for many years. Government Delegation is the institution which gives the permissions to shoot pyrotechnical devices, are who establish those distances and we use them in the city hall. The technical committee of fire, the sectoral council of La Corda, is a participatory body in which the different organizations and participants of the town coordinated by the Coeter Major, decide to establish specific rules concerning behaviour during La Corda. We write various drafts which we use later as a basis to create the emergency plan, perfectly endorsed, checked and registered by a private company which makes its control. For instance, we divide protection in 3 parts: the protection of the street or the stage where the show will be performed, we protect neighbors, we protect balconies using a fence, we protect the empty houses, and the roofs of low houses are checked so there is not any waste which could catch fire with the fireworks. There is a hot spot nearer the show and a cold spot further. That area is controlled by perfectly equipped civil protection staff, and the hot spot is controlled by the police staff who are equipped like any other participant of La Corda. We also limit the number of devices that can be thrown: the caliber, a "thunder" is the pyrotechnic material with the biggest explosive mass, we restrict it to a caliber of 50mm at maximum. When the fireworks are contracted with the manufacturer, several tests are performed in the testing grounds that pyrotechnic workshops have inside or outside their installations. Check if they go up properly, if children's fireworks could become a risk for the children's hands... And when the product is tested, we give the OK to the manufacturer and he starts working. Pyrotechnics are very noisy and make a visual impact, so we think fireworks are dangerous, but that is not true, the objective of pyrotechnics is creating that illusion. While in fire there is no illusion. Fire is a flame, an element you cannot control. Keep fire under control is really difficult. In interiors it is strictly forbidden, in theaters, sports centers, etc... In the open air is basically having all documentation and a professional with demonstrable experience, and if you fulfill all requirements, you hand it in and the technician who has to decide will say yes or no. Until now, thanks to the technical committee of fire, we have done a healthy, easy and nice Corda of about 25-26 minutes.