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. Nightclub Fire", "Judge Accepts Plea Deal in Rhode Island Fire", "Co-owner of R.I. club where 100 died to be released early", "Band to pay $1M in case over deadly club fire", "Great White offers $1M to settle fatal fire suits", "Derderians reach settlement in nightclub fire", "Governments offer $20 million in RI nightclub fire", "Packaging company settles in R.I. nightclub fire", "McLaughlin & Moran, Anheuser-Busch offer $21M settlement in Station fire case", "Home Depot Settles In R.I. "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. Station Fire Memorial Park, a permanent memorial to the victims of the fire, was opened in May 2017 at the site where the Station once stood. ", "20 years later, the effects of the Station nightclub fire still linger - The Boston Globe", "The Great White Nightclub Fire: Ten Years Later", "In West Warwick firefighters' hearts, the disaster isn't over", "How a West Warwick restaurant became a triage center for burn victims", "20th anniversary of New England nightclub fire that killed 100", "State supreme court to review penalty for employee deaths in R.I. fire - UPI.com", "Workers comp. Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". [42][43] The Station, which was built in 1946, was exempt from a sprinkler requirement in the state fire code through a grandfather clause, which stated that buildings constructed before 1976 were not required to have a sprinkler system. Tweet. Cold air washing over me. [32] The fine was not resolved until 2013, ten years after the fire, when it was upheld by a judge. Like, "get away from the building." And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, "I have to leave." The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [21] The Station did not have a sprinkler system installed. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. 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? The tour manager for the rock band Great White pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. Purchase and sale had been signed. He don't know. The answer is no. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. You take one square inch of the foam, you hold it up with a roach clip and light it on fire with a wooden match. [9] Jeffrey Derderian said the door was also installed due to noise, and they had removed it as asked, but sometimes re-installed it if the venue was going to be loud that night, and it was used by the band to escape the building during the fire. Inspection records showed that just three months before the fire, the Derderians had been cited by the local fire marshal for having a secondary, interior door by the stage that opened inward, which violated regulations. [21], By this time, the nightclub's fire alarm had activated, and although there were four possible exits, most people headed for the front door through which they had entered. Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, did not. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. Scott James: It should not have happened. So, I said to Deb, "stay here. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? [49][50], Lynch told 48 Hours that his investigation found that the fire spread quickly due to the foam the Derderians had installed in the Station's walls and ceilings as a response to noise complaints. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. 9. Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. 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.. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. The Station nightclub in West Warwick burned down on Feb. 20, 2003, during a concert by rock band Great White, leaving 100 people dead and more than 200 injured. Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . 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. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. And that song reminds us of that night. Nine friends didnt. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. Scott James: And the nightclub operator there was so angry when he saw what had happened in Rhode Island, he went public, and he even made public the contract that he had with Great White that showed there was no evidence of fireworks that were going to be part of the show. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. Foam the Derderians had installed along the club's walls and ceilings to conceal noise was highly flammable and "was equal to gallons of gasoline. In my head, I didnt even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.. Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. Built in 1946, the wooden Station nightclub was grandfathered into an exception for laws requiring ceiling fire sprinklers. The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. On Feb. 20, 2003, 100 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in a fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. And he says you can. This trial was scheduled to start May 1, 2006, but Biechele, against his lawyers' advice,[52] pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter on February 7, 2006, in what he said was an effort to "bring peace, I want this to be over with."[52]. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. And why wasn't the foam company charged? The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. The brothers, however, find that hard to believe considering the foam covered the walls, ceiling and even the inward swinging door he cited as a violation. And Paul Vanner didnt like what he saw. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. As numerous violations of existing codes contributed to the severity of the fire, there was immediate effort to strengthen fire code protections. [49] In 2013, Kendall told The Providence Journal that he maintained amicable contact with some survivors, victims' families, and the Station Fire Memorial Foundation. [83], In June 2003, the Station Fire Memorial Foundation (SFMF) was formed with the purpose of purchasing the property, to build and maintain a memorial. According to author Scott James, Great White had reportedly used a large pyro display without permission at other clubs, including just days before the fire at a show in New Jersey. About 40 seconds after the song began, Great White stopped the show and all but one member of the band escaped through the stage door exit. 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. Jim Axelrod: If the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can continue to do business. Nothing lifts his despair. For those who lived through it or lost a loved one, healing from the horrific scars, both physical and emotional, takes time. [26] The Cowesett Inn restaurant across the street from the Station acted as an ad-hoc burn triage and command center for first responders. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. One of the angles Lynch investigated was the Derderian brothers. [21] Thick smoke began to fill the station one minute after the ignition and the crowd began to escape the building. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. Jeff Derderian: this is flammable you can't have this. 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. Flames can be seen on the back wall. She paused, her eyes tearing. Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. Share. [39] WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. [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. More than 460 fans had crowded into the wooden, single-story, 4,480 -square-foot nightclub known as The Station in West Warwick, R.I., to enjoy a Thursday night show on Feb. 20, 2003. How did you meet him? It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. [61], In January 2008, the Parole Board decided to grant Michael Derderian an early release; he was scheduled to be released from prison in September 2009, but was granted his release in June 2009 for good behavior.[64]. That happened in 2001. That happened in 2002. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. This is the time to leave. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. 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. [12] Great White's popularity had waned in the decade prior to the Station fire, and they had been performing on a touring circuit of small clubs with capacities of up to 500 people. "[58] The state parole board received approximately twenty letters, the majority of which expressed their sympathy and support for Biechele, some going as far as to describe him as a "scapegoat" with limited responsibility. Jeff Derderian: Why is it OK that the fire marshal is allowed to miss something or make a mistake and what he did was just an oops, but what we did was criminal? That's all I can keep seeing in my head. Scott James: When people arrive, they walk through this entrance and this kinda longish hallway. 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? WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- Five years . This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. In fact, they did the opposite.". [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. [37] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. And I said my hands won't work. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. Linda Saran: My hospital roommate, he and I took turns driving the respiratory therapist crazy in some ways it's almost like being in war together. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. REELZ today announced the network's original documentary America's Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List premieres February 20th at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT presenting the deeply personal stories of lives forever altered by the tragic Station nightclub fire that left 100 people dead, more than 200 injured and devastated the tight-knit community of West Warwick, Rhode Island. One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. Michael Derderian: Correct. [104] It was last introduced in the House in 2015 by then-U.S. Reps. James Langevin of Rhode Island and Tom Reed of New York.[104]. I went over, put my hands against the glass, and I started kicking at that window and it wouldn't break. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? On May 10, 2006, State Prosecutor Randall White asked that Biechele be sentenced to ten years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain, citing the massive loss of life in the fire and the need to send a message. The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. Daniel Biechele, the tour manager for Great White who had ignited the pyrotechnics, plead guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2006 and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison with four to serve. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. He doesn't know. Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections.
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