Articles Pyrotechnic 1.4g

Articles Pyrotechnic 1.4g (AP-1.4g) and "Pro-sumer", are labeled as being intended only for professionals. These exist in something of a gray area because of the importation-methods used for getting them into the U.S.A.  The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (BATFE or, historically, simply ATF) considers them unregulated consumer product but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does not regulate them.

This leaves importers & retailers in the unenviable position of having to make a justifiable determination of which of their customers meet their criteria of being a "professional". Some retailers have determined that membership in a recognized pyrotechnic organization are, rather arbitrarily, "professionals". Members of Florida Pyrotechnic Arts Guild (FPAG) benefit from that interpretation at several, but not all, importers/retailers in Florida.

Clearly, an objective definition of "professional" is needed.

The American Pyrotechnic Association (APA), the Pyrotechnics Guild International (PGI), and National Fireworks Association (NFA) are collaborating with industry and regulators on such an objective definition. Unfortunately, that process is expected to take a few years to reach consensus and that consensus could indeed wind up being to defer to individual state Fire Marshals.

Within this current bureaucratic vacuum two "solutions" are being pursued.

ONE:

The (PGI) has their existing Display Operator Certification (DOC). It requires an initial one-day course, documented experience with a licensed display operator, and annual continuing education. PGI hosts its DOC course at its annual convention in early August. In 2024, the PGI convention will be in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Florida Pyrotechnic Arts Guild (FPAG) has, amongst its members, a PGI-certified DOC course-instructor and have in the past offered the PGI-DOC course here in Florida.  Previously, this was in the weeks before our Fall Festival (typically in late October). Although targeted toward Firefighters and Display Operator employees, anyone could attend.

If FPAG schedules a PGI-DOC course again in 2024, it will appear here on the publicly accessible calendar on our website (FPAG.ORG). The location, date, and cost of the course will be documented there. Expect the cost to be approximately $100 per person and to consume most of a Saturday.

TWO:

Several of what PGI refers to as "regional clubs" (recognized by, but not affiliated with, the PGI) exist. Florida Pyrotechnic Arts Guild (FPAG) is such a club. Like most other of these clubs, FPAG its' own safety-certification process by which members gain permission to handle & discharge display-class pyrotechnics at the clubs' events. The formality of these club-specific safety-certification processes is proportional to the size of the organization.

FPAG is in the process of updating its' own safety-certification course, available only to members, such that it continues to serve the club's safety needs and also arms students with a small subset of PGI-DOC information as applicable to safely handling, transporting, and discharging AP-1.4g products.  Another goal is to have a certification for our members which meets the needs of vendors retailing articles pyrotechnic in establishing a customers' status as being a "professional".

FPAG has not set a target-date for completing this update, but this page will be updated periodically.