But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. It was like what? Linda Saran: Yes. 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. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. Patrick Lynch: First of all, I think it's pathetic, disgusting and unsettling to think that they're even speaking now The foam that they put up had a direct impact on the survivability of the bulk of the people that were assembled that night. 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. Two decades after 100 people were killed in the West Warwick, R.I. fire, those affected by the incident are reflecting on that tragic night. However, fire professionals have few choices about what training should be provided and training programs are continually updated to incorporate new technologies as well as lessons learned from actual fire experiences. I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. John Barylick is an attorney who represented victims in numerous wrongful death and personal injury cases arising from the Station nightclub fire. First of all, I don't know you would, how would you how would you accomplish the detail and the amount of new information in a news conference or, you know, a commercial or something that we would try and do on our own. I never thought it would get so bad., He told bartender Julie Mellini that they had to leave, and she and several patrons followed Vanner out the kitchen door. She spoke with the Globe about Jefferey and Michael Derderian, the . The pyrotechnics ignited the walls on either side of the stage and within seconds flames spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling of the club intended to dampen sound. [14] In the aftermath of the fire, Great White and the owners of the Station disputed whether the band were allowed to use the pyrotechnic display during their concert. On February 20, 2003 at about 11:10 p.m., Jody King got a call that something was going on at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [8], Great White had two opening acts for the February 20 concert: Trip, a group from Vancouver, Washington, and Fathead, a local Rhode Island band. In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. [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. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. he was very kind about it, but he said, "I don't ever see you competitively swimming again." Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. [78], On the twentieth anniversary of the fire on February 20, 2023, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee ordered flags in Rhode Island lowered to half-staff for the day and the Rhode Island State House to be illuminated in memory of the 100 victims. I miss Tina a lot. It was criminal, he says. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. Those who were trapped inside The Station when the flames started knew they needed to get out fast. Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". 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. 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. Scott James: When people arrive, they walk through this entrance and this kinda longish hallway. Nightclub Fire", "3 indicted in R.I. rock concert fire - UPI Archives", "The Derderians are on a 'white-wash tour' about The Station fire, says father who lost son", "The strange and terrible true story of Great White, and the Station nightclub fire", "3 Men Are Indicted in Fire At Rhode Island Nightclub", "Foam company offers Station nightclub fire plaintiffs $6.3M settlement", "DAN BIECHELE SPEAKS Pre-Sentencing Statement GREAT WHITE TOUR MANAGER Station Nightclub Fire RI", "Fury, Tears and 4-Year Term in Deadly Blaze", "Band manager who ignited deadly Rhode Island nightclub fire freed from prison", "Manager Sentenced for Rhode Island Nightclub Fire", "Many families of Station fire victims supporting parole for band manager", "Band manager who ignited R.I. club fire is freed", "After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla", "Derderians will plead; AG says he opposes sentencing deal", "2 Brothers to Plead No Contest in R.I. : In 2021, 48 Hours described the total civil payments to the victims and families as $176 million. The Guest List is a strikingly visual film. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. You were not approaching that area at all. And I said my hands won't work. And it was ugly. He was out there, and he just loved being in the center. [89] The band raised $185,000 for the Station Family Fund during the tour. I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. After 15 years of it being a dominant part of her everyday life, she said she is ready for it to be a part of her past. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. 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. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am. He don't know. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? there are other people who should be responsible. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. Petrarca remembers one of the most beautiful moments shes had. Mon, February 20th 2023, 8:29 PM PST. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. And he's like he don't know. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. The TIAs also required additional crowd manager personnel, among other things. 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. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. Why had the fire spread so quickly? my dad was in the room. Michael Derderian: No. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. Phil Barr: I loved it. Do you understand that anger? Phil Barr: I don't like to talk about it, but I remember feeling weight on top of me, and I'm pretty sure I crawled out from under another person to pull myself up. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. Greatly., Things that bother people you sit there and you shake your head and you go, if this is the worst thing that happens to me today, this month, this year, this decade, I mean, at that point its one of those things. [tears up, shaking his head]. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. And I stood up. Jody King: He trusted the club. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. sentenced Biechele to fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probation, for his role in the fire. As numerous violations of existing codes contributed to the severity of the fire, there was immediate effort to strengthen fire code protections. Flames soon appeared on the walls on either side of the stage and spread quickly along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling, intended to dampen sound. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. [77], A benefit memorial concert was held in February 2008 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence and featured performances by Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger, Gretchen Wilson, and John Rich. I remember getting pushed from behind. You should be proud." Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. 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? I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. [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]. 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. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [34], Providence Phoenix columnist Ian Donnis wrote of the effect that the fire had on the close-knit Rhode Island community, "The loss of so much life would represent a tragedy anywhere, but it struck especially hard in Rhode Island, the nation's smallest state, where no place is more than an hour away by car and the fire claimed one tenth of one percent of the state's population. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. [81] In August 2016, the site was reported to have been being used as a PokeStop in Pokmon Go, to uproar from victims' families. And a quarter of those people didn't get to go home ever," says survivor Linda Saran, who was severely burned in the fire at The Station nightclub. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. S01:E01 - San Francisco Freeway Collapse. Michael Derderian: He finds the deficiencies, you have to correct the deficiencies and then signs off so that you so you can get your liquor license that happened in 2000. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. [38] Derderian had begun working for WPRI on February 17, three days before the fire. I went around back. They should have blamed more. [2] The club was cited for nine minor code violations during the first inspection in November 2002, but was not cited for the flammable polyurethane foam the venue used for soundproofing, which was against code. these contracts are pretty specific. [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. if I had nothing to hide, then why wouldn't you why wouldn't you talk to them and tell them what you knew or what you didn't know? DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. He was the. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? She said she went into the club that night a naive, fun-loving 27-year-old and came out angry and feeling guilty. Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. One guy did crawl out. Patrick Lynch: Did he do his job perfectly? Jody King: When he walked into a room, if there wasn't a smile he'd start balancing stuff to get you uplifted and smiling. 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]. The night of the fire Jeff Derderian gave a statement to the local police and another one to an investigator with the Attorney General's Office. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. The Derderians say that in the three years they owned the club, no one ever questioned the safety of the foam and say the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. "We went out on a Thursday night to listen to music, drink some beers and have a good time. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. It was liquid fire. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. But she refuses to live in the past. [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. In the days after the fire, victims' families and survivors faced a harsh new reality. That night is not a coherent memory for her, she said, but a sequence of moments when she was hyper-focused on finding her friends or helping those around her. [88], Russell considered disbanding Great White after the fire, but reconsidered when he decided to embark on a benefit tour. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. Patrick Lynch: Looking back on it I would say they ran it as a side business, an attempt to maybe make some extra money with the callous, utter disregard for those that work there and assemble there. "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? Like, "get away from the building." Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. So that was huge.. Susan Nicol. My parents taught us a lot, a lot of things. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. 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. Phil Barr: Yep. But for anyone who was in The Station nightclub on Feb. 20, 2003, she said, a night out triggers an awareness. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. That happened in 2002. 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 manslaughter. local Four nonstop. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire. Jody King: He was gregarious. View All 100 Memorials for the The Station Nightclub Fire Site. some bleeding I could notice in my throat. The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? They want to talk to you." It just so happens that we're . Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. I've been after this bike for over 4 years and I finally got the call! We have an exit through the kitchen. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. He was the. CBS Boston Rhode Island Gov. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. [9] The ensuing crowd crush in the narrow hallway led to that exit being blocked completely and resulted in numerous deaths and injuries among the patrons and staff. Her father wont visit the memorial, and it took her years to be able to drive down Cowesett Avenue, she said. ", "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. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. 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. [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. How is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong foam?". Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. He trusted the owners. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. They said a critical piece of evidence was never presented to the grand jury. He turned back to see the crowd bottle-necked at the stage. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. [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. Investigators eventually discovered the fax was sent by Barry Warner, a former employee at American Foam the company that had sent the Derderians the packing foam made of flammable polyurethane. 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.