Firework Shows Preparing For Holiday Weekend

Dennis Newton isn’t your ordinary anesthesiologist. When he’s not putting people to sleep, he’s keeping people up with a bang.

“Everybody likes to see things blow up and I’m kinda lucky enough to get involved setting up and blowing up,” said Newton, an employee of Eisenhower Medical Center.

He’s worked with Pyro Spectacular for more than a decade. The company sets up fireworks shows around the world, including this year at the Morongo Casino. The show included four tons of fireworks. That’s around 800 shells for a 24 minute show. Crews set up the explosives a safe distance away from the crowd, so Newton never gets to see the crowds reaction but he knows when they’re impressed.

“You can hear the cheers and the shouts in the background and that’s enough,” said Newton.

Crews set up the fireworks the day of the show, so no one steals or lights them early. It took this team of more than dozen workers about two days to set up.

Lighting fireworks by hand just isn’t safe anymore. So they’re given a number that’s synced, along with the music, to a computer. So the fireworks go off in perfect timing.

Slim budgets have forced cities like indio to cut their fireworks shows. But others find a way.

“Everybody wants to celebrate the 4th of July. You’re not taking that away. It came close on a lot of shows. We’re finding a lot of shows are being sponsored now by Kiwanis clubs or Rotary clubs,” said Jeff Martin, regional sales manager with Pyro Spectacular.

It takes a lot to get these shows firing on all cylinders. Newton says being the key isn’t too different from being a good anesthesiologist.

“There’s just no way to cut corners. You just got to pay attention to detail and do it right,” said Newton.

So for every rockets red, white or blue glare, someone like Newton is there, making it happen.