Stephen M. Yoss
Join My Fireworks Crew

Wanna work a fireworks show?

I shoot professional fireworks shows all year long — and every Fourth of July I bring on a crew to help put on a big one, working hands-on with the real thing. No experience required. What I love most is teaching new people the craft and watching them grow into it.

Apply to join the crew

Here's the truth: I do this because I love it, and because there's nothing like watching someone work their first show. You'll get hands-on with professional pyrotechnic effects and equipment and watch the finale go off from a couple hundred feet away. It's real work — but it's genuinely rewarding, and you'll leave knowing things most people never get to learn. No experience? No problem. I'll teach you everything you need to know.

  • A wide fireworks grand finale lighting the night sky
  • Fireworks bursting over the Man at Burning Man
  • A massive fireball erupting at a night show
  • The fireworks crew gathered behind a wall of loaded show boxes
  • Crew firing the show from the command station
  • A pink peony fireworks shell breaking overhead
  • A towering wall of fire above a silhouetted crowd
  • Loading a truck of fireworks ahead of a show
  • A red fireworks burst filling the sky
  • Arms raised beneath a fireworks finale
The experience

What the day looks like

  1. 1

    Off-load the show truck and position equipment on the ground.

  2. 2

    Load the show: clean the mortars, address them, and load the fireworks.

  3. 3

    Stand by during the show, strategically positioned to watch for safety.

  4. 4

    Showtime — watch from the command station. Maybe even shoot the show.

  5. 5

    Strike the site, clean up, and reload the truck once the show is over.

Why do it

Perks of being on the crew

The best seat anywhere

Watch the show from the command station — and possibly fire it yourself.

Learn the craft, hands-on

You'll be taught by a licensed pro and work directly with the gear, the effects, and the people who do this for real.

A path to your license

Interested in your CA pyrotechnic operator's license? We provide training, contacts, and show credit.

In the community

In the pyrotechnics community

Beyond our Independence Day show, I stay active in the broader fireworks world — on event staff, in national guilds, and on professional show crews.

Western Pyrotechnic Association

Winter Blast staff

I serve on the staff of WPA's Winter Blast, where I assist with registration and manage every aspect of the event's technology — including the website — throughout the show.

Visit the WPA

Pyrotechnics Guild International

Member · PGI

A proud member of the PGI, the international community dedicated to advancing the art, craft, and safety of pyrotechnics.

Visit the PGI

Black Rock FX

Crew member

A member of Black Rock FX, the team behind large-scale fire and pyrotechnic productions — including the spectacles that light up the playa at Black Rock City.

Visit Black Rock FX
Before you apply

Eligibility requirements

  • You must be at least 18 years of age. No exceptions.
  • No felony conviction or record that would preclude handling explosives; ATF Employee Possessor Questionnaire required.
  • Able to lift ~20 lbs multiple times through the day (let the crew chief know about any conditions).
  • Able to arrive and stay through the entire show and cleanup.
  • No alcohol or non-prescribed substances during setup or the show — immediate dismissal otherwise.
  • Comfortable working outside all day in California summer heat (60–90°F+), with frequent breaks, shade, and cold drinks.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (required to handle explosives under federal law).

Think this sounds like a blast?

Tell me a bit about yourself and why you want to join the crew.

Apply to join the crew