By David Taylor
Managing Editor
One by one, Ramiro Chavero nervously checked each fireworks canister and the main panel for proper connections hours before the show was to begin. The Thursday night show was the first solo performance by Chavero after qualifying as a licensed pyro operator earlier in the year. There was no chance of him waiting till the last moment; he likes to plan ahead.
Chavero has been a wastewater operator for Jacinto City for the last three years and loves working for the city. He’s a homegrown product having attended Jacinto City Elementary, Galena Park Middle School, and eventually graduated from Galena Park High School.
“I feel there’s a lot of opportunity for growth working here,” he said.
Ramiro isn’t the ‘party guy’ it might seem he would be, running something as exciting as a fireworks show. His softspoken demeanor underlines his focus and determination to be in the background and allow his team to shine.
Shortly after Ramiro was hired to work for the city, he was asked to be on the pyro team.
“I started out as a trainee and have moved my way up to being a licensed pyro operator,” he said proudly.
To accomplish that task, he had to work five live shows and take a rigorous test.
“I learned all the rules and requirements in the book and took the test and passed it on the first time,” he said. The test was in March.
His first show was with the city gaining hands-on experience including the panel that sets off the fireworks. The second year he was moved to fire watch.
“That was a totally different position, standing approximately 100 feet away from the display during the show with a fire extinguisher,” he described it. “You’re constantly on the lookout throughout the show for any chance of fire whether it’s in debris, rags, or shells.”
They are also able to communicate with the fire command from Galena Park Fire Department, who has a pumper sitting on the high road, also watching over the show and ready to respond in the event of a fire.
Just 15 years ago in 2009, the two cities put on a fireworks show, and one of the shells failed to detonate while airborne.
“When it hit the ground, it exploded and caused a grassfire on the levy,” said City Manager Lon Squyres, who was fire chief at the time. After 30 minutes of firefighting, it was brought under control and the fireworks show resumed to its finale.
Chavero has also traveled to Dallas to work the fireworks show at the Texas Motor Speedway to gain more experience.
“I really enjoy doing it, especially after a long hard day of work and to see the outcome of it,” he said.
Occasionally, the shows are accompanied by a simulcast provided by a local radio station in the area, but none were available this year.
Since 9/11, the government is tighter on the sale of fireworks.
“We have to buy from federally licensed dealers,” Squyres said, “and our workers have to pass background checks.”
They used to fire off 12-inch mortar shells, but those are no longer available after 9/11.
“We purchase our shells and show from Pyro Shows of Texas, and we buy 3-inch, 4-inch, and 5-inch mortar rounds,” the city manager said.
They were delivered on July 3, which gave Chavero a little bit of heartburn, so close to showtime.
“I like to have everything ready early,” he said.
He and his team were up at 7 a.m. on July 4 transporting the fireworks carefully to the site on the levy (high road). The area is closed off to prevent any accidents while the crew works.
“Once they are wired, they must be fired within 48 hours, and they become much more dangerous,” he said.
His crew builds their own racks, drops the shells in the canisters that hold the mortars, and then they must wire each one to the panel.
“We have 886 fireworks. 600 are used for the main body of the show, and the remainder are the finale,” he said.
The two cities each pitch in $12,500 each for the show.
“It typically lasts 15 minutes, but I stretched the show to 20 minutes to give the audience a little more viewing time,” he said.
There’s not a whole lot of time to sit back and enjoy their work because it’s a bit frantic, but a controlled pace at ground zero where the show is being launched.
“All the workers must be watching everything around them, including falling embers that could accidentally light some of the unfired shells,” he said.
Residents who sit up on the berms surrounding the levy get the best view of all.
“You not only see our show, but off in the distance you can see the Houston show, one in Pasadena, and another in Baytown,” Chavero said.
Next year’s show could be completely done with a wireless panel, he said.
“No wiring would help cut down on setup time, eliminate the wires, and increase safety due to an increase in distance between the pyrotechnics and personnel,” he said.
“I appreciate the city giving me the opportunity to do this, and for my crew who helped me out a lot,” Chavero said.
Squyres said the show went off without a hitch.
“We’ve received nothing but praise for the show, and encouragement to continue the tradition,” he said.
