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Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. And he's like he don't know. [2] Larocque later told the Rhode Island State Police that he had not spotted the polyurethane foam during the November 2002 inspection because he was upset after finding an illegal inward swinging door that he had previously asked to be removed from the building. And the following year he was able to accomplish the impossible and rejoin his swim team. The Station nightclub fire occurred on the evening of February 20, 2003 at The Station, a nightclub and hard rock music venue in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, killing 100 people and injuring 230. It was liquid fire. Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. Susan Nicol. It justit was so fast. He don't know. View Image Gallery. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole. That night, he allowed a cameraman to shoot footage inside the club for an upcoming story about safety in public venues. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. [20], Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. It was completely preventable. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. it became very, very hard to breathe. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. Firefighters responded within five minutes, and the building was fully engulfed within six minutes, according to a timeline assembled by WPRI. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. Linda Saran: I think a lot of people miss out on the moments. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. he was very kind about it, but he said, "I don't ever see you competitively swimming again." And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. He had failed to get a license for the pyrotechnics from the State of Rhode Island and permits from the local fire department. Jim Axelrod is the chief investigative correspondent and senior national correspondent for CBS News, reporting for "CBS This Morning," "CBS Evening News," "CBS Sunday Morning" and other CBS News broadcasts. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. [78] The event raised at least $25,000 in donations for the Station Family Fund, and was broadcast in March by VH1 and VH1 Classic. [9] In 2005, the Rhode Island Attorney General office received a fax from Barry Warner, a former employee of American Foam who lived nearby the Station, who claimed the company had known about the dangers of polyurethane foam but did not warn their employees about it. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? The fire was the fourth-deadliest at a nightclub in U.S. history, and the second-deadliest in New England, behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire, which resulted in 492 deaths. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". In Memoriam: Victims of the Station Nightclub Fire - WPRI.com Barr was located between the stage and the front door. Nightclub Fire", "WHJY, Clear Channel offer $22M Station fire settlement", "Service recalls victims of nightclub fire - Feb. 25, 2003", "Families visit scene of deadly nightclub fire - Feb. 24, 2003", "Concert for nightclub fire survivors nets $25K", "Governor McKee Statement on 20th Anniversary of Station Nightclub Fire | Governor's Office, State of Rhode Island", "Station Nightclub Fire Memorial On Track For 2016 Opening", "Timeline: Station Nightclub Fire, 15 year anniversary", "Station nightclub site will no longer be Pokemon Go destination", "Owner of burned RI club donates land for memorial", "Job Lot customers respond to Station Fire Memorial drive", "Memorial park dedicated to victims of Station Nightclub Fire", "Great White: Performing again is the right thing", "Providence nightclub fire charity rebuffs Great White singer", "After the fire: Great White, survivors live with the horror of Rhode Island tragedy", "Rhode Island Club Fire Tragedy Revisited with Members of Rock Band Great White", "Now There's Two Versions Of Great White | Metal Insider", "After The Fire: Feelings mixed and emotions high as Jack Russell's Great White return to New England", "Great White And Jack Russell Reach Agreement Over Use Of Band Name", "Great White singer's fire memorial concert nixed", "Mohegan Sun postpones Great White concert booked close to Station fire anniversary", "Documentary on youngest Station victim to be aired", "Films by RIC Alum Are Among Station Nightclub Fire Tributes", National Fire Protection Association web page "Nightclubs/assembly occupancies", Guide to the Station Nightclub Victims' Collection from the Rhode Island State Archives, Great Zeppelin: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Station_nightclub_fire&oldid=1142630889, Building and structure fires in the United States, February 2003 events in the United States, Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2013, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. "[91], Two years to the day after the fire, band members Russell and Kendall, along with Great White's attorney, Ed McPherson, appeared on CNN's Larry King Live with three survivors of the fire and the father of Longley, to discuss how their lives had changed since the incident. Her father has seven brothers, Pimentel said, and she was especially close to Carlos. I've been after this bike for over 4 years and I finally got the call! There was no one coming out the back door anymore. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. [63] Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected strenuously to the plea bargain, saying that both brothers should have received jail time and that Michael Derderian should have received more time than Biechele. The state of Rhode Island is small," says author Scott James. She paused, her eyes tearing. Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. It was crowded, and it was getting bad. He arrived early around 8:30 p.m. Phil Barr: There really weren't that many people around early in the night. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Nine months after the fire, the club's owners, brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian, along with Daniel Biechele, the band's tour manager, were each charged with 200 counts of involuntary. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire. The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for He trusted in his friends. Saran was one of the more than 200 who were seriously hurt in the fire. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. my dad was in the room. They all came so every single one of those hundred students held up a white rose and they represented one of the 100 [who died]. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. Phil Barr: A lot of people moved back towards the main entrance it became really clear that we were not going to be able [to] get out the front door. The State of Rhode Island and the town of West Warwick agreed to pay $10 million as settlement. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. Jody King: As I went by the fire station fire trucks are coming out Now the question in my head is why are all these firetrucks leaving? (WJAR) WEST WARWICK . That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. In my head, I didnt even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. [11] Dominic Santana, the owner of The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, told reporters that Great White had used pyrotechnics during their February 14, 2003 performance at the venue without his permission, and their contract and rider did not mention pyrotechnics displays. I'll be right back." Jeff Derderian, seated right, says, "You know a day doesn't go by that we don't think about it in some way, shape or form.". Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. [88], Russell considered disbanding Great White after the fire, but reconsidered when he decided to embark on a benefit tour. For people to know you can go there now and look at this beautiful park and talk to your person thats what I love about it.. Twisted Sister's Dee Snider Honors 2003 Station Nightclub Fire Victims Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. [tearing up] "What a great brother you have. Jody King: They blamed three. On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire for a number of months. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? She got out. And settled for $1 million. Petrarca remembers one of the most beautiful moments shes had. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. It took a while, she said, but she thinks she had found the way to move on from it but to keep it with her as well. The Derderians learned about a piece of evidence they say is important that was never presented to the grand jury: an eight-page fax sent to the Attorney General's Office anonymously just months after the fire entitled "The Fire. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". Tracy died never giving up. The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. I don't even like to talk about it. Station nightclub fire survivor tells burn victims love can happen amid scars, fears: Joe Kinan has had more than 120 surgeries, not the least of which was a hand transplant. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. [2] The three were each charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter with criminal negligence and 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in violation of a misdemeanor. [22] During the performance, pyrotechnics set off by tour manager Daniel Biechele ignited the flammable acoustic foam on both sides and the top center of the drummer's alcove at the back of the stage. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. Michael Derderian: Take this stuff down. They should have blamed more. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who is featured in a REELZ documentary about the Warwick, Rhode Island Station nightclub fire, which killed some 100 attendees of a Great White concert in 2003, [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. Jeff Derderian: We feel a sense of guilt about what happened in the sense that you carry the guilt of knowing that these people aren't here anymore, and these people are hurt for the rest of their life. S01:E02 - Joplin Tornado. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. So, I would think that the pyrotechnic provision would be in there just like we need to have, you know, 12 M&Ms, I mean, you know, and they need to be brown. [26] The Cowesett Inn restaurant across the street from the Station acted as an ad-hoc burn triage and command center for first responders. He owned his own construction company, and he was often in the backyard with his sons, improving the landscape or building two ponds that he filled with koi fish. Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. [44] The NIST report was released on March 3, 2005 and was made available in two parts on June 30, 2005. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, who was behind her, pushing her toward the door, perished. Season 1. [15][16] All the members of Trip escaped the Station without injury, but two members of Fathead, cousins Keith and Steven Mancini, died in the fire. The Guest List is based in part on John Barylick's narrative non-fiction work, killer show, the station nightclub fire, America's deadliest rock concert. Michael Derderian: No. Jody King: He went on David Letterman twice to do Stupid Human Tricks. Their story starts three years before the fire. Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the That happened in 2001. According to Bostonherald.com, a memorial fund that raises money for survivors of The Station nightclub fire received at least $25,000 in donations after a benefit concert aired on television, organizers said today.. 2003 deadly fire at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, Great White, Jack Russell, and Mark Kendall, National Institute of Standards and Technology, "The Station nightclub fire 10 years later: Healing continues as West Warwick, Rhode Island, takes next step in recovery", "The Station Fire: Timeline of a tragedy", "Station tragedy leads to tougher fire code", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 1", "Beyond grief: Trying to make sense out of the Station tragedy", "Tragedy Catches Up to a Metal Band Past Its Prime", "Great White Fireworks Set Off a Controversy", "The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for disaster that killed 100? As were going down the stairs to get into the comedy club, in the heart of Times Square, the first thought that goes through my mind: I come back and look and go: Are there two exits down there? she said. [12] Russell's relation with some survivors and families has been strained, although he remains close to Longley's family. Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. And so, when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the door, the door did come down. [52] Speaking to the public for the first time since the fire, Biechele stated: For three years, I've wanted to be able to speak to the people that were affected by this tragedy, but I know that there's nothing that I can say or do that will undo what happened that night. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." We have an exit through the kitchen. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. That evening she had a girl's night out with a friend while her young daughter was at a sleepover. It all started around 11 p.m. when the rock band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and the group's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, set off four large fireworks called gerbs. Survivors of the Station nightclub fire reflect on tragedy's 20th anniversary One hundred people were killed and many more injured when a pyrotechnic display caused a massive blaze in 2003.. But does that mean it's not a crime? In February 2008, Providence television station. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. [76] The Rhode Island state fire code was changed after the fire to require every nightclub in the state with a capacity of over 150 people to have a sprinkler system installed.[3]. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The Station Nightclub Fire - University of Cincinnati pdf To summarize the reports, specifically about how people exited, the vast majority of people attempted to exit the way they came in. Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 people. [97] Russell raised about $180 from the concert, but the Memorial Foundation refused the donation, a decision supported by Kendall. But even more than walking, Phil wanted to return to swimming. Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the Station nightclub fire, one of the deadliest blazes to ever occur at a nightclub in the United States. What kind of club was this? The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. "We never knew the whole story because the trial never happened, so everything really never came out," says Jody King, whose brother worked at The Station as a bouncer. In the aftermath, Vanner battled an addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, which he used to cope but which cost him jobs and his drivers license. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. Am I going to sit here and cry about this? She saw friends who had lost people they loved, others who had been burned and scarred by the fire, and felt embarrassed that she got out physically unharmed. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. However, on September 21, 2006, Judge Darigan announced that the brothers had changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. [2] The follow-up inspection in December 2002 also did not cite the foam, and the inspector gave the building an "All OK" rating on his inspection form. "We went out on a Thursday night to listen to music, drink some beers and have a good time. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. . This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Since The Station fire, many states have adopted stricter fire prevention codes. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. Father of youngest Station nightclub fire victim questions why owners At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. [13], In February 2003, Great White was on an eighteen date concert tour, and they had been using a pyrotechnic display during their performances that some club owners had denied them permission to use, citing safety concerns. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. Phil Barr [teary-eyed]: Getting another opportunity to live my life came with enormous responsibility. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. Joshua Sanders, MS, IAAI-CFI on LinkedIn: ATF_NCETR on Twitter In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. I had no control over my muscles. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. True to his words, Barr fought to breathe on his own. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. Enduring and remembering: The Station fire 20 years later Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, "I have to leave." They were friends. At the opening of the park I had 100 students from my school come, and I had to explain it all so I gave them their learning experience, she said of last Mays dedication of the park on the site of the Station nightclub. First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. [9] Michael Derderian told 48 Hours that it was "Undisputable" that the building's use of flammable packing foam instead of flame retardant sound foam was the cause of the fire's spread, but the brothers claimed that they had ordered sound foam and had received the packing foam instead. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am.