Vernon's Annual Fireworks Show: A Behind-The-Scenes Look

VERNON, CT — So ... just what does it take to set off 1,500 fireworks?

Vernon Patch found out that answer Wednesday on a tour offered by Fire Marshal Daniel Wasilewski, hours before the annual July in the Sky Celebration.

The decision to stage the show Wednesday as scheduled was made early, amid the fog and about 6,742 calls to Town Hall from citizens panicking over a supposed sketchy weather report. The go-ahead or delay-a-day order must be given early, because, once the fireworks leave the warehouse in New York State, they must be ignited the same day, according to the permits, Wasilewski said.

A Fire Marshal's Office representative must be present atop Fox Hill at all times from the arrival of the truck carrying the fireworks through the grand finale, and full fire gear is required once the show commences, he said.

Vernon's show is among the largest in the state, according to staffers at Wappingers Falls, NY-based Legion Fireworks Co. Inc., which is in charge of the show.

The shells for the Vernon show come in three sizes — 3-inch shells, positioned to the right of the Fox Hill Tower and 5- and 6-inch shells, positioned slightly to the left, looking uphill from, Downtown Rockville. The majority of the fiireworks are of the 3-inch shell variety, Wasilewski said.

In the "old" days, Wasilewski said, each shell was lighted with a flare. Things have progressed to what is now a fully electronic show, he said. The system uses a transmitter, connected to the shell by a wire. Ignition is controlled by a laptop about 50 feet away, Wasilewski said.

The computer can shoot off the shels in any sequence, he said.

Fire trucks and portable extinguishers are also atop the hill throughout the day, Wasilewski said. There is also a 450-foot buffer zone in every direction, including some nearby roads shut down near Henry Park, he added.

The show commences "when it's dark enough" officials said.