How to Become a PGI Certified Shooter

In order to become a PGI Certified Shooter, an individual must first complete the PGI Display Operator Certification Course. The next step in the process is for the student to work on four 1.3G Displays as part of the the crew.

The individual must have participated in a “significant capacity” in the shows. Along with the four shows, the person who wants to complete the requirements for certification must have worked on one 1.3G fireworks display as either the lead or the co-lead shooter.

Proof of participation in a written statement on the club or company’s letterhead is required. Alternatively, the candidate can fill out the form in the Pyrotechnics Guild International Fireworks Training Course textbook and have the lead operator at the show sign it. They also need to indicate the date(s) worked and the type of displays used. The certification is given to people with experience in working on Professional (1.3G), as opposed to Consumer (1.4G) displays.

A person who has worked on their own shows as the Lead operator can vouch for their own participation on the honor system. The shows must have been legal ones and 1.3G types. A copy of the show permits may be submitted to support the application.

A person who has been working on pyrotechnics shows should be making note of the details of each one they have worked on. Once a person completes the introductory Pyrotechnics Guild International Fireworks Training Course, there is no specific time limit for completing the requirements for a PGI Display Operator Certification after the PGI class is finished.A person who is only working once a year as a Lead Operator on a show can still qualify for Certification as long as they complete the requirements.

Another option for gaining experience to complete the requirements for getting certified is to approach other clubs and local display companies to get some experience. The person who chooses to go this route needs to keep detailed records of their participation. Once they have completed the required number of shows, they need to send their score from the PGI course, their application from listing their show experience (along with any supporting documentation), and a processing fee (which as of the fall of 2010 is $10) to PGI. Once the application has been processed, CGI issues a certificate and a wallet-sized identification card.