Across the United States, brilliant fireworks displays will ring in the New Year in just a few days, but few people know what it takes to bring those incredible displays to life. Among those select individuals is Shelby Smotherman, a fireworks technician in Tampa, Florida, who has worked at some of Central Florida’s biggest theme parks, helping to orchestrate their fireworks shows. More than most, Smotherman knows that beyond the sparkle and glamour, a steady threat of danger lurks—when you’re dealing with literal tons of explosives, even the smallest mistake can be fatal.