Year of prep, 20 minutes of awesome: Inside the Blues Fest fireworks

David Pomeroy is working on the 4th of July. In fact, he's been working for months to make sure that his job is smooth and easy on this American holiday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- David Pomeroy is working on the 4th of July. In fact, he's been working for months to make sure that his job is smooth and easy on this American holiday.

Pomeroy, the lead pyrotechnician for the Waterfront Blues Festival Fireworks show, will be on the barge in the Willamette River when the fireworks begin around 10 p.m. Monday.

Preparation for the giant fireworks show began about a year ago, he told KOIN 6 News. The pyrotechnicians began ordering the fireworks at that time and there are now 4000 pounds of fireworks already staged on the barge.

"I will be on the radio with the fire department, Blues Festival, and they will give me the signal," Pomeroy said. "Then I hit the switch. It's all electronic and wireless so it's nice and safe, so I hit the button and hang back."

Those fireworks will be synced with music -- and the fireworks will be televised on KOIN 6 and Portland's CW plus streamed on KOIN.com.

"It's a lot of preparation and thought and work that goes into it for 20 minutes but it makes it all worth it when both banks are lit up and screaming," he said. "It's awesome."