Safety Guidelines

1. No Class A or other High Explosives, or gasoline, or other flammable liquids can be used for any type of pyrotechnic effect, without the approval of at least two WPA officers and the convention Chair.  Members participating in public displays and demonstrations are exempted from the gasoline or other flammable liquids restriction per their approved Western WinterBlast (WWB) contracts.
2. Absolutely no live material is to be compounded or discharged outside of SARA Park. All such activities are confined to the manufacturing and shooting sites. No exceptions!
3. Instructions and directives of the safety personnel are to be obeyed immediately. Please do not argue with the safety personnel. If you disagree with their instruction/directive, please follow up with a WPA Officer.
4. Class C devices may only be fired in the designated areas. The Class C areas are well marked and segregated from the other areas.
5. Please be prompt when attending meetings, seminars and workshops. Latecomers are disruptive and inconsiderate. We will endeavor to start all sessions on time.
6. Remember, many people will be watching our activities, conduct and actions. Many of us are professional Pyrotechnicians and should ensure that we are behaving as such, at all times.
7. Children must be supervised. Any unattended children in the Class C area will be asked to leave. Children under 18 are not allowed in the Class B areas.
8. If you wish to fly a drone at WWB for any reason, please contact the Board at board@westernpyro.org.
9. Those who disregard the rules or compromise any aspect of safety may be asked to leave, and may also jeopardize their membership.   Let’s make this a safe and uneventful convention.

General Shooting Guidelines
For the safety of the club, we will follow all NFPA regulations.

Shooting gear requirements: All people at the shooting lines are required to have the following gear on when at the shooting lines: long sleeved shirt, long pants, closed toed shoes, safety glasses. For the B shooting lines, a hardhat is required. Gloves are optional but recommended. All of the clothing should be of a natural fiber, or flameproof fabric, to prevent injuries caused by the clothing melting into the skin in the result of a burn. Hearing protection is highly recommended in all shooting areas. If you do not have the proper type of clothing or gear you will be asked to leave the shooting lines and return only when you do.

Safety Classes: Safety classes will be taught for both adults and youth. These classes will be mandatory for everyone.

Wristband Code: The colors for the wristbands will be decided upon availability and a chart will be posted in the vending areas.

White: General identification for all adult attendees. This wristband is temporary, and with your valid name badge, allows for admittance to Western WinterBlast. This wristband does not allow you to purchase or shoot any product.

YELLOW Hologram: This wristband will be issued to adult members and attendees (18 years and older) following the attendance at one of our mandatory safety meetings. This wristband is required to be shown to vendors to purchase fireworks, and shown to the safety staff before shooting fireworks.

GREEN: To be given to all underage (under 18) attendees not participating in PIT (Pyros In Training). This wristband will not be changed. 

RED:  To be given to all underage (under 18) attendees who ARE participating in PIT (Pyros In Training). This wristband will not be changed.

PURPLE: Special Use wristbands issued only by the event Chair or WPA Board members.  This band allows passage through member gates.  It DOES NOT allow purchasing or shooting of products.  This cannot be replaced with a Safety Briefing (Yellow) wristband.  

Self-removal of the wristband by a member: If you remove your wristband for any reason and wish to enter the WWB convention area you will not be permitted to unless you return to registration, return the cut wristband, and pay a $5.00 replacement fee. You will be issued a new White wristband. You will need to attend another nightly safety meeting to have the wristband changed to the Yellow Hologram wristband.   Proper ID is necessary to obtain a new wristband.

Cutting a wristband for disciplinary reasons: If for any reason a full time safety staff member or any other member of the full time WWB staff deems you as unsafe, for yourself or others, they will cut your wristband off. This will remove you from the firing lines and you will not be allowed to return until after you have had one reissued.

Reissuing a wristband: In order to have your wristband reinstated after it has been removed you will need to meet with the Safety Chair, the individual who removed the wristband, and a member of the WPA Board of Directors to plead your case. This meeting will be held at the convenience of the Safety Chair and the individual who removed the wristband, and may not necessarily be immediately following the situation.

Class B (1.3g) approval stamp: This must be obtained from a Safety Staff person, and affixed to your name badge, in order to shoot Class B product.

Class C shooting: There will be safety volunteers at each shooting line to observe and assist when necessary. In addition, there will be a full time safety staff person floating around this area if there are any problems. If anyone under the age of 18 is at the shooting line, it is mandatory that they have an adult companion with them to guide them. If a child is found without such a companion they will be sent back to the general area and instructed to return only when they have an adult with them. No exceptions will be made.

Class B shooting: In the Class B shooting area you must demonstrate your ability to fire Class B product safely. There will be volunteers at each shooting line who have Class B safety knowledge and will instruct and assist you if you are not sure of the procedures. We will also have full time safety staff around the Class B shooting area if there are any problems.

Salute restrictions: Maximum size is a 4” round ball shell, or a 4″ diameter cylinder shell containing no more comp than what would be found in a 4″ ball shell salute. For larger salutes, you will need the approval of at least two WPA officers and the convention Chair. For manufacturing large salutes you will also need the additional approval of the Manufacturing Chair.

Baby B and Experimental Shooting: This area will be set aside for the firing of B cakes, mines, comets, and experimental products. Experimental products must be cleared with the Safety Chair prior to any discharge.

B Rockets: The B Rockets shooting area will be monitored by full time safety staff and will have a volunteer safety there while the rocket line is open. The shooting line for B rockets is a considerable distance from the firing of B shells, to keep the concerns of shells and rockets pre-igniting one another. No composite fueled rocket motor in excess of 29mm is allowed.

Ready Boxes: There will be ready boxes available at each of the shooting lines. This is to be used for the product that is intended to be shot off in the immediate future. If there is not enough room in the ready box for all of the product, then some of it will have to be returned to the appropriate bunker until there is room. If product is left in the ready box past the close of shooting hours it will be returned to the bunker unmarked and fired off by whomever claims it.

Unfired Product: Any product left unfired by the Monday following WWB will be destroyed after the cleanup has finished.

Safety Crew
There will be full time safety staff members to assist the Safety Chair. Refer to the Staff section to identify who they are. There will be a safety tent that will be manned by a full time safety staff person whenever open shooting is in operation. All full time safety personnel will have a radio for the duration of WWB. All full time safety staff will be required to be on duty, have an orange WPA safety hard hat and safety vest on while at their assigned area nightly from 5:00 p.m. till close of all lines, or until all members are clear and away from all open shoot sites. These staff members are the safety law. If you are asked to do something, please comply as they are asking you to do so for a good reason. Please feel free to ask them the reasoning behind the request so you learn and become a safer shooter. 

Pyros in Training (PIT) is a seminar and workshop series targeted at families and student members, but open to anyone who wants to learn about the science and techniques involved in pyrotechnics. At Winter Blast, PIT participants will have the opportunity to build items such as mines and fountains and will choreograph a fireworks display for Sunday night’s WPA Member Showcase.

1. A member can only pre-order and pay for products from the vendor before the event, under the Club’s ATF license.
2. Members retrieve their product from the vendor’s magazine.  Vendors are typically located near the WPA’s shipping containers across from the PIT and Seminar Tent 2. 
3. Members must immediately bring the product to the Class B magazine (manned by full-time Western WinterBlast – WWB – security staff).
4. Members give the vendor sale/product list paperwork to magazine staff where Staff will log your products.
5. PLEASE endeavor to pick up and bring all purchases to the magazine between 10am and 3pm.
6. All purchasers and shooters of Class B are required to serve a one hour volunteer shift at the Class B magazine.
7. All members must attend a mandatory safety meeting and obtain a shooter’s wristband; check the online schedule for details. 
8. Members who have no experience firing 1.3 fireworks must attend a Class B Safety Class* and obtain an approval stamp.  (Held at the Safety Tent – see the online schedule for details).

*A member may be excused from attending the Class B Safety Class and may receive their approval stamp by showing (a) a PGI™ Shooter’s Certification card, (b) a Commercial Pyrotechnicians License, or (c) other suitable proof of competency to shoot Class B product, to the Safety Chair. This can be done prior to the Class B Safety Class at the Safety Tent. Notwithstanding credentials presented by the member, the Safety Chair will determine whether or not the member needs to attend the seminar to obtain the approval stamp. The decisions of the Safety Chair, Convention Chair, and WPA Board of Directors are final on all matters relating to shooting of 1.3g (Class B) product by members during Winter Blast.

1. All pyrotechnic articles must be secured in boxes or containers during transit to and from a bunker or shooting line.
2. Ready boxes located on shooting lines cannot be used for overnight storage, and will be emptied into the primary bunkers at the conclusion of each night of shooting.
3. Items manufactured on site by members are stored in the Day Box in Manufacturing. Member built items do not get checked into the B Bunker with commercially purchased products. 
4. There are 2 bunkers available for storage. Class C products will be stored in the shipping container near the entrance to Manufacturing. All purchased Class B products (shells, rockets, cakes, etc.) will be stored in the bunkers located near the B Line. These containers will be monitored by WWB staff and security personnel.
5. A truck/trailer is used to transport items to the B Rocket line. The truck/trailer comes back and is parked by the day box and gets locked as does the day box overnight. There is no bunker at either manufacturing or at B-Rockets.
6. All product will be checked in at the appropriate bunker. Class C product that will be shot immediately can be kept in ready boxes. All Class B product stored in the magazines must be logged in. All items stored in the bunker must be in a cardboard box or other suitable container. Each box of product will have a label with the member’s name affixed to the outside. WWB security staff will update the logs each time you enter, or remove product
7. Only persons who are listed on the authorized log will be allowed to remove product from their boxes. Persons not authorized on the log will not be allowed to pick up product. The membership name appearing on your convention name badge will be used for identification. 
8. Only adults will be allowed to pick up product at the bunkers unless members are participating in PIT activities.
9. All unattended product will be placed into the appropriate bunker, and disposed of at the end of WWB.

 

• All salutes manufactured on site must follow manufacturing guidelines
• We encourage you to shoot salutes early.
• No shooting of salutes any night after 9:00 PM
• Muti-break shells with bottom shots should be fired during salute hours. 

These rules do not apply to display companies.  For salute manufacturing that exceeds the above guidelines, you will need the approval of two(2) WPA board members(preferably at least one who is seasoned in manufacturing) and the Safety Chair.  You will also need to notify the Manufacturing Chair before the event of your intent to build salutes on the manufacturing application. This will allow them to place you in the correct area on-site based on risk assessment.

The WASP belongs to the WPA. You must replace anything you break.

Do not make any non-standard (i.e.: welding, cutting, bending, etc.) adjustments or modifications to the physical portions of the WASP.

Do not make any programming changes to the computer program of the WASP. If the WASP is not performing properly, ask the WASP staff member for help. You are responsible for restoring the programming should you make any unauthorized changes.

You must buy your own tape.  The WPA will have limited amounts of tape available for purchase.

You must stay with your shells as they are being pasted to monitor and make adjustments as needed.

You must clean up after yourself. (Your mom doesn’t work here).

Be Safe. There doesn’t have to be 100 12 inch shells stacked like Civil War cannon balls waiting around the machine.

Talk to the others who will use the WASP and work out a schedule. Don’t bring a 3 inch when everyone else is pasting 6 inch and vice-versa. You all are over 18 and paying your own bills. Be nice.

Appropriate staff and BOD reserve the right to shut down all WASP operations due to safety issues, weather, acts of God, etc.

For many years, the Jackalopes have been given space and permission to create something different from the majority of fireworks shows. Those events have been large scale and invited direct participation from club members. Additionally, the J Line has been home to many seminars and workshops. The events, seminars, workshops and setup space are more than can be handled in seminar tents, at the B Line or in the manufacturing area – a separate area is the only way these projects can work.

The Jackalopes will be back again for WWB 2023, and will create and share a new pyro adventure. Stay tuned for details. 

All club PPE and safety requirements will be followed at the J Line.

In future years the space will be available, via application, to any group of WPA members (including the Jackalopes) who want to use the space to create a large scale, participatory event for club members.

1. Any member who damages or destroys a WPA mortar, rack or other piece of club equipment will be responsible to replace it with like kind or in cash. This rule is in effect regardless of the origin or manufacture of the device, except those devices made in seminar workshops.
2. The member must pay for the replacement of said damages within 60 days of the event, or bring new equipment to the next event before a new registration badge is issued. Western WinterBlast (WWB) safety staff will identify members responsible for replacing equipment.
3. This set of rules will be posted and referenced for all convention attendees at the time members sign the waiver in registration. A current list of gun replacement costs will be included.

The gate policy is designed to avoid misunderstandings regarding what will and won’t be allowed out of SARA Park. This pertains to anything purchased or acquired within the gates of SARA Park. The WPA’s intent is not to stop anyone from legally purchasing product on site and legally transporting it off site. Anyone in possession of the proper permits, licenses, and appropriate transportation papers for the State of Arizona and federal regulations for the material in question will be allowed to leave with their product.

The following items will be allowed out of Sara Park without any paperwork:

• Visco fuse (all diameters)
• Time fuse
• All non-mixed chemicals
• Pyrotechnic comps/mixtures available via mail order without a permit or
• sold over the counter for consumer use in Arizona.
• All inert materials (i.e., paper and plastic products; all printed materials, etc.)
• Black powder (Quantity of one pound or less per day)
• Sticky Match (and other 1.4s products)
• Novelty Items
• Certain marked 1.4G product, see note below

These items are not allowed through the gate without proper paperwork:

• Most Class C/1.4G and all Class B/1.3G firework items. This includes live antique fireworks sold as collectibles.
• Black powder (quantities greater than 1lb per day)
• Quick match
• Stars and live pyrotechnic inserts (whistles, serpents, small insert shells, lance, etc.)
• Pyrotechnic comps/mixtures not available via mail order without a permit or sold over the counter for consumer use in Arizona.
• Electric match

Any pyrotechnic item that requires paperwork to purchase and transport outside of Western WinterBlast (WWB) will require the same paperwork to leave WWB. As to the inclusion of live antique fireworks sold as collectables, as long as the local, state and federal authorities make no legal and enforcement distinction between these items and other class B and C items, we cannot make the distinction either.

Certain Class C products are permitted to leave the gate.Vendors will place a sticker on product pieces that are permitted to leave the WWB gates.

You may not discharge any firework device in the Lake Havasu area at this time of year.

 

The layout of Sara Park will be determined in coordination with the Event Chairman, Safety Chairman, Security Chairman, and Site Chairman. Refer to the map in this Program.

The map is for general reference only, and is not a site plan or to scale.

Volunteer Staff
In addition to the full time safety staff there will also be a volunteer staff. The number of volunteer staff is to be determined by the safety chairman once the final layout of the shooting lines is decided.

Check in / check out procedures: Sign up to volunteer at Registration. Volunteer staff members should report to the Safety tent or the Security chairman for assignments, depending upon what they are volunteering for. When their volunteer shift is over the next volunteer who has signed up will replace them in the same manner.

 

The layout of Sara Park will be determined in coordination with the Event Chair, Safety Chair, Security Chair, and Site Chair. Refer to the map in this Program.

The map is for general reference only, and is not a site plan or to scale.

Volunteer Staff
In addition to the full time safety staff there will also be a volunteer staff. The number of volunteer staff is to be determined by the Safety Chair once the final layout of the shooting lines is decided.

Check in / check out procedures: Sign up to volunteer at Registration. Volunteer staff members should report to the Safety tent or the Security Chair for assignments, depending upon what they are volunteering for. When their volunteer shift is over the next volunteer who has signed up will replace them in the same manner.