PGI Shooter’s Certification Course – Lecture
Tent 1 | Seminar
Thursday, 02/15/2024, 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Presented by: Josh Lazarus, John Steinberg, Paul Smith
Max Attendance: 45
Class Fee: $60
This course is an accepted safety course for licensing in many states. It is a must do course for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of current NFPA regulations, requirements, and safety protocols for commercial fireworks displays.
The course includes a classroom lecture, hands on field work, and a written test. Those who desire to apply for PGI certification must attend all parts of the course and pass the test. Everyone can learn something new from this class.
The class will be held over 2 days. The lecture portion will be held on Thursday February 15th from noon to 5pm. The hands on field work and test will be held on Friday February 16th from 9am to 1pm. Bring a pen and/or highlighter to the class for taking notes. For the field portion you will need the following personal protective equipment: safety glasses, hard hat, closed toe shoes, long sleeve shirt and pants made of 100% cotton or other flame retardant material (turnout gear is acceptable.) Also bring something to drink and snacks if you desire. Winter Blast registrants will receive their WPA “B” firing line wristband and stickers at the conclusion of the Friday session. Please be on time, as due to a tight time schedule, no information can be repeated for late attendees.
Additional Session Information:
- Beginner Friendly: Yes
- PPE Required: Yes
- Age 18+: Yes
- PIT Crew: Not Applicable
- Session Prerequisites:
- Registration Link: Click here to register for workshop
About Presenters
Josh Lazarus
Josh Lazarus is a licensed display and special effects technician in multiple jurisdictions, having worked on over 200 events including the Super Bowl, Wrestle Mania, the Miss American Pageant, to name a few. He is the owner of J Lazarus Consulting and Training LLC and the former Supervisor of Inspections for the New Jersey State Fire Marshals Office. He is a Co-Director of the PGI training program and one of the editors of the current PGI Display Operator Certification Guide. He is also the immediate Past President of the Florida Pyrotechnic Arts Guild.
John Steinberg
John Steinberg, principal author of the PGI Shooters Certification course textbook is a licensed lead operator for 25 years. John serves on the NFPA SFX TC and is a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Pyrotechnics, which writes NFPA-1123, NFPA-1124, and other documents and he will be happy to answer any code questions you may have. Contrary to a popular cultist belief, John is not an anarchist and, in fact, he takes his MSDS very seriously, and brushes after every meal.
Paul Smith
Paul Smith has a degree in chemistry and currently works at Purdue University in Chemical Education. He has over 30 years of experience in demonstrating pyrotechnic chemistry in the classroom and the evening sky. He is a contributing author for the PGI Display Operator Certification Study Guide, a Certified Instructor for the Display Operators Course since 2004, and continues to serve as the PGI President.
