Right Around the River Blog

Rescheduling Rocketts Red Glare

Post Date: 09-28-2011

You know the old adage, "It's better to be safe than sorry?" When people started gathering on that rainy Sept. 5 day for Rocketts Landing's inaugural Labor Day event Rocketts Red Glare, we knew playing safe rather than sorry had to take top priority -- and we postponed the celebration. We were pretty bummed to delay the event because of rain, but with a fireworks display to account for -- and the safety of everyone involved -- we knew rescheduling was the best answer.

But don't fret -- while we're still landing the exact date, Rocketts Red Glare will be back in full swing next spring, complete with our anticipated fireworks display over the river. So, in the meantime, we thought we’d share the company behind the pyrotechnics magic -- and the ones who ultimately helped us decide to play it safe.

Petersburg, Va.-based company Dominion Fireworks is the secret ingredient to our fireworks show and they have a stellar track history of putting on some pretty fantastic programs — with a 100-percent safety track record to prove it. Led by Owner William Bulifant, a 28-year industry veteran, who’s supported by at least 15 licensed technicians, Dominion Fireworks does all types of fireworks for all sorts of events (ever seen the water-based fireworks at Virginia Beach? That’s them!)

And putting on a fireworks show is no small feat. To start, William says they must look at the venue location and address a variety of ordinances, such as combustibles used, distance requirements for spectators and vehicles, city fire codes, among others. For Rocketts Red Glare, in addition to the normal ordinances, we also had to get approval from the U.S. Coast Guard since we are close to a nautical waterway.

When weather’s involved, as it was for us, the details get even more complex.

“What most people don’t realize,” explains William, “is that a fireworks program takes hours to set up, everything from half an hour to 10 or even 16 hours — it just depends on the event.”

For Rocketts Red Glare, William and his team needed four straight hours to get every detail in place — that’s after weather’s accounted for. To assess iffy-looking weather, Dominion Fireworks scrutinizes every detail, all hours leading up the event: weather forecasts and maps, Doppler radars, predicted rain amounts, etc. In addition to safeguarding their fireworks, they also must protect their launching system, which is all electrical. And the firing system for Rocketts Red Glare is computerized and automated. If any water gets into the system, they must send the equipment back to the factory.

William says if a 60 percent chance of rain is predicted, they’ll recommend their client cancels the show. And so, as the rain continued hovering over our riverfront community, we listened to the expertise of our savvy fireworks partner and pulled the plug on the day’s event — at least the first time ‘round.

As more details unfold for our next run at Rocketts Red Glare next spring, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Until then, think dry, clear-sky thoughts and don’t stop until the last firework has landed!

Photos courtesy of Dominion Fireworks