Pittsburgh prepares for Fourth of July fireworks and festivities

Pittsburgh is preparing for its Fourth of July celebration, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend the festivities in the city.”USA Today did select Pittsburgh as the number one place to celebrate the Fourth of July,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said.On Thursday, Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 toured the barges packed with fireworks that will be set off along the Ohio River. Watch the video above.Vince Terrizzi, vice president of Starfire Corporation, explained the intricate setup for the fireworks show.”A cue is one hit, which is those orange e-matches that light the shells. There’s almost 6,000 of those, and then there’s even more devices that are attached to that. One might have 100 in a device, one might have 10, 20, depending on exactly what the effect is,” Terrizzi said.Lisa Epps-Cuda, a fire inspector and fire prevention instructor who has been inspecting fireworks for 14 years, is conducting multiple inspections leading up to the event.”We make sure that all the products are in there, so we make sure we have our safety sheet, we make sure we have our barge location, we make sure we have the certificate of insurance, and then once we receive that, we schedule an inspection. That’s one of the most important things for safety,” Epps-Cuda said.After 36 years with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, Epps-Cuda is retiring. “What a way to celebrate my last year, going out literally with the biggest bang the city has ever seen,” she said.With the largest fireworks show in Pittsburgh’s history expected to draw big crowds, O’Connor emphasized the importance of safety. Public safety officials are increasing the number of officers on duty and encouraging parents to accompany their children to the celebrations, especially in light of recent gatherings known as teen takeovers.”What we are doing is preparing for that. Any type of nuisance, unruly behavior, criminal behavior will just not be tolerated from any individuals,” said Sheldon Williams, Pittsburgh’s public safety director.The city’s fireworks show is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. Saturday.

PITTSBURGH —

Pittsburgh is preparing for its Fourth of July celebration, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend the festivities in the city.

“USA Today did select Pittsburgh as the number one place to celebrate the Fourth of July,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said.

On Thursday, Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 toured the barges packed with fireworks that will be set off along the Ohio River. Watch the video above.

Vince Terrizzi, vice president of Starfire Corporation, explained the intricate setup for the fireworks show.

“A cue is one hit, which is those orange e-matches that light the shells. There’s almost 6,000 of those, and then there’s even more devices that are attached to that. One might have 100 in a device, one might have 10, 20, depending on exactly what the effect is,” Terrizzi said.

Lisa Epps-Cuda, a fire inspector and fire prevention instructor who has been inspecting fireworks for 14 years, is conducting multiple inspections leading up to the event.

“We make sure that all the products are in there, so we make sure we have our safety sheet, we make sure we have our barge location, we make sure we have the certificate of insurance, and then once we receive that, we schedule an inspection. That’s one of the most important things for safety,” Epps-Cuda said.

After 36 years with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, Epps-Cuda is retiring. “What a way to celebrate my last year, going out literally with the biggest bang the city has ever seen,” she said.

With the largest fireworks show in Pittsburgh’s history expected to draw big crowds, O’Connor emphasized the importance of safety. Public safety officials are increasing the number of officers on duty and encouraging parents to accompany their children to the celebrations, especially in light of recent gatherings known as teen takeovers.

“What we are doing is preparing for that. Any type of nuisance, unruly behavior, criminal behavior will just not be tolerated from any individuals,” said Sheldon Williams, Pittsburgh’s public safety director.

The city’s fireworks show is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. Saturday.