Salvo Pyrotechnics was founded by two display technicians who kept getting hired to fix other companies’ shows after the fact — a mortar racked too close to a tent, a cue sheet that drifted off the music by the second chorus, a site plan that hadn’t actually been checked against NFPA 1123 before shells were ordered. We built the company around not making those mistakes in the first place.
Every display we produce, regardless of size, goes through the same six-step process:
1. Site survey
We walk the launch site and fallout zone in person, measure real distances against NFPA 1123’s minimum-distance table, and flag wind exposure, nearby structures, and crowd-line constraints before a single shell size is chosen.
2. Choreography design
For music-synced shows, the cue sheet is built directly against the final mix’s actual waveform and beat timing — not a generic template stretched or compressed to fit whatever length the client requests.
3. Permitting & NFPA compliance
Our site plan, shell manifest, and certificate of insurance go to the local Fire Marshal or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) well ahead of the display date for formal review and approval — this is the step most commonly rushed by other vendors, and the one most likely to sink a display at the last minute if it is.
4. Rehearsal & setup
Mortars are racked, wired, and function-tested against the cue sheet the day of the show. Every firing position is checked before the site opens to guests, not during the display.
5. Live execution
A state-licensed lead pyrotechnician fires the show from the console, with a dedicated safety officer watching the crowd line and spectator distance throughout, and a standby crew ready for any misfire procedure.
6. Cleanup
A full site sweep for unexploded debris happens the same night, with a second daylight sweep the following morning before the site is released back to the venue or municipality.