A new generation takes up the torch

Decades working with fireworks and pyrotechnic teams all started with a tornado warning in the mid 1990s.

“I was actually working as the emergency coordinator as well as a member of the fire department,” retired Creston Fire Chief Roger Nurnberg said. “We had a possible tornado over the hill. The National Weather Service called and gave me warning because we had checked in with them for the fireworks.”

As a result, the park had to be evacuated before the show.

“I sent my firefighter crew to help the fireworks team rescue the product. They took it to the fire station to protect it from the rain,” Nurnberg said. “It was through that I found out what kind of procedures they were using, and come to find out, they were violating a lot of codes.”

From there, Nurnberg began to learn more about fireworks and their safety procedures.

Just a few years later, the Creston Shooters pyrotechnics team was created to provide safe, dazzling displays for the community.

The team had a creative solution to combat Creston’s low budget for the show.

“We had a group of people who really took on the building aspect,” Nurnberg explained. “We built a lot of product for the Creston show. We learned it from the international club.”

One of the most interesting displays were “frogs,” making their debut in the 1997 show. “They shoot out in to the lake, bob back up and ignite in a semicircle, like a floating fountain in the lake,” Nurnberg explained.

Though the Creston Shooters team has dissolved, Nurnberg still works on shows to this day as a member of the Iowa Pyrotechnics Association and the Pyrotechnics Guild International.

Traveling to 17 states with his late wife, JoAnn, Nurnberg taught pyrotechnic safety to teams all over the United States including the group responsible for the Super Bowl fireworks.

“We’ve got friends all over,” Nurnberg said. “We did that for over 10 years. We taught every weekend from the middle of February to the last day in June.”

Advancements

Though there have been many technological advancements in fireworks over the years, some things stay the same.

“Believe it or not, black powder is still the same as what it was in the 12th century,” Nurnberg said. “The difference is probably in the way we put it up.”

The first known fireworks were made by the Chinese approximately 1,000 years ago using black powder wrapped in tissue paper.

While some departments still choose to hand fire their fireworks, the Creston show has operated electronically for many years, allowing the team to focus more on the dynamics of the show itself.

Creston native and owner of Top Notch Fireworks, Brandon Vonk, remembers sitting in trucks at McKinley Park watching the fireworks as a boy. This year, he’ll be putting on the show for his hometown.

“I’m privileged to do it,” Vonk said. “It’s been my dream since I’ve been on the original club. Me and Roger talked about it. I didn’t want to be the guy selling fireworks in my hometown and not doing the show.”

Vonk served as vice president of the Creston Shooters for nearly a decade, and many previous members of the team will be assisting him in the display.

This Year

“This show is going to be a different caliber,” Vonk said. “It’s scripted to music, beat for beat on the song. We actually have fireworks that go to the beat of the music.”

The show takes the team three days to completely set up, and is anticipated to last 30 minutes.

Vonk said his mission is to create a show people travel to see. “The shows keep getting smaller as the cost of products go up,” he explained. “We’re pooling our money together with the city to get the show where it needs to be.”

He draws inspiration from the sights of his childhood — McKinley Park filled with people talking as they wait for the show.

“We want businesses busy; we want the parade busy,” Vonk said. “We hope everybody comes from their town to our town for our show. That’s our mission.”

Though it’s bittersweet, Nurnberg recognizes it’s time for a new generation.

“We’re proud of our past, but we hope they’ll carry on the innovation and pay attention to the safety thing,” Nurnberg said. “It’s a new generation, but they can do it.”

After years with the Creston Shooters, Vonk said the safety aspect is like putting on a seatbelt when driving a car. “When we walk out the door, it’s as safe as it’s going to be for them,” he explained. “We know where we are going to put our stuff. We’re doing everything we can to make it as safe as possible.”

The show starts at 9:30 p.m. on the fourth at McKinley Lake and will put a bow on Creston’s 75th July Fourth celebration.

“It’s emotional. We’re trying to do the best we can,” Vonk said. “This is for the city; we’re not here for the money. We’re here to make people happy. We want everybody to enjoy it. The smiles is what we do it for.”