Locals put bang in Titans games
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Better yet, they get paid to have the best seats in the house. Working for a company called Pyro Shows setting up fireworks displays for the games, they contribute to the behind-the-scenes action for the team’s home games.
“People are always curious if we get to meet the Titans. We do. That’s a part of it,” Bishop, who works full time at AEDC, said. “They want to know what the players are like and we get a lot of requests from people who want us to get them into the games.”
Redmon, 20 and a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said the word has gotten out at school about his involvement with the games.
“A few of them know,” he said. “They think it’s really cool and most want to know if I can get them in the game and unfortunately not,” he added, noting tight security.
David Reep, also employed at AEDC, said he became interested in fireworks as a small child. He recalls his father conducting fireworks shows at the old Ben Lomond drive-in theater.
“Our family ran the theater. There was a white house that sat up there – that’s where I was born and raised,” he said.
“A long, long time ago – and it’s almost to where I can’t hardly remember it, but I still do remember it – we used to do this at the drive- in theater. That was on July 4th they had the show. And my dad would go out and fire the things, but I was real little, so they kept me far back.”
Nevertheless, he developed an interest at an early age. He and others jumped at the chance to get involved with Pyro Shows.
“There were several us down here at the base who had an interest in Pyro,” Reep added. “I don’t remember who initially made the contact with Pyro Shows, but we went up to Pyro Shows in LaFollette and went through a training class that they have.”
Bishop, who grew up in Westwood, said he couldn’t recall significant interest besides a common childhood interest and only started to develop a professional interest in pyrotechnics a few years ago.
“It was kind of a chance deal. A friend went to a training course and asked me if I wanted to go,” he said.
On a typical Sunday, they depart for the Titans game early enough to get communications set up with the scoreboard control tower for communication throughout the game, which may also include coordination with the military for fly overs. Equipment is stored at the scoreboards towering over the coliseum.
The fireworks are considered Class C fireworks but are complemented with cannon bursts for added noise effect. Reep made game time sound easy, although admitting the job and fireworks are dangerous and are not taken lightly. He added a lot of coordination goes into every show.
“When the team intro comes out, we’ll do two mines with two cannons. Then we start the national anthem. We do the red mines for ‘rockets red glare.’ The ‘bombs bursting in air’ has got some white mines and then ‘home of the brave’ is glitter and crackle mines with two concussions,” he said.
“And then of course it’s pretty much sit back and wait. When they get a touchdown, there are two mines and one cannon and if it’s a field goal, it’s one mine and a cannon, and that’s per scoreboard.”
He said reloading can be difficult, especially if the game suddenly changes course with an interception that is returned for a touchdown.
“It sends us running back away from the command to fire. The east and west wings of the scoreboard that we traverse are not designed for walking. It is basically the same as the roof of a pre-fab metal building and you have to walk in certain areas of that roof layout,” he said.
Michael Reep agreed that games can develop at a frantic pace.
“It’s an experience,” he said. “You have to be prepared when those things go off because it’s a pretty big rush.”
Reep said he plans to continue for awhile and all agreed the experience is something to remember.
“What an opportunity to get to go to all the Titans games,” he said.
“You get to enjoy all the games and you pretty much have free reign of the stadium and you get paid, not to mention you get to shoot the pyro,” Bishop added.
Redmon said he likes it all.
“That’s one of the greatest feelings in the world. To be able to be at the game and to hit that switch and feel the ground shake and the crowd roar – there’s just nothing like it.”