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. They were friends. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. there are other people who should be responsible. He trusted the owners. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. It looked like a ladder of those black jelly bracelets from the 80s hanging in rings around my wrists. Barr was located between the stage and the front door. [62], In a letter to the victims' families, Judge Darigan wrote that he accepted the deal because he wanted to avoid "Public exposition of the tragic, explicit and horrific events experienced by the victims of this fire, both living and dead. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM it was also on fire. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. And I said my hands won't work. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. One near the bar. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. Honored to have been able to attend such an in depth and eye opening training opportunity. Access remains open to the public, and memorial services are held each February 20. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. 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. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. But I should have at least tried.. [20], Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. They want to talk to you." [18][19] Gonsalves was the host of the WHJY program The Metal Zone, at the time the longest-running heavy metal radio program in the United States. One of them is never say die, never give up. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. Their story starts three years before the fire. I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. 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. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. [4] In 1985, it was converted to a pub, which closed sometime in the late 1980s, and a nightclub was opened in its place in 1991. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. [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. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. And, according to the brothers, it was one of the first exits used when the fire started. [82] The stop was removed from the game by developer Niantic later that month. [2], Prior to the fire, the Station often hosted concerts by 1980s hard rock groups and tribute bands. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. PROVIDENCE Over the years Dave Kane has had to find a place to store his outrage over losing his 18-year-old son, Nicholas, in The Station nightclub fire in 2003. And I'm like, "OK.". One of the angles Lynch investigated was the Derderian brothers. Phil Barr: You know just have a beer, see a concert. 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. [9] In 2008, American Foam agreed to pay $6.3 million to the families of the victims of the fire. 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. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. The Derderians have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. Michael Derderian: Jeffrey was responsible for all the marketing activities. Michael Derderian: The club was sold. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. And if we could change it, we would. She got out. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The State of Rhode Island and the town of West Warwick agreed to pay $10 million as settlement. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. JEFF DERDERIAN [crying]: Many people didn't make it out and that is a horror that will haunt my family and I for the rest of our lives. And then we've got the pressure from the judge saying you know, you're going to go to jail for 30 years apiece. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. Jody King: I see the horror. A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation of the fire under the authority of the National Construction Safety Team Act, using computer simulations with FDS and a mockup of the stage area and dance floor, concluded that a fire sprinkler system would have contained the fire long enough to give everyone time to exit safely. He was the. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. Within weeks, the National Fire Protection Association committee met to regulate code for "assembly occupancies." Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. He don't know. Well, I guess once we all started to turn toward the door, and we got bottle-necked into the front door, people just kept pushing, and eventually everyone popped out of the door, including myself. The fire quickly spread over the dance floor, along the ceiling. The fire seemed to burn quickly, she added. CBS Boston Rhode Island Gov. The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. [43][45], An investigation of the fire by a Rhode Island state grand jury was started by then-Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch on February 26, 2003. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. Phil Barr [teary-eyed]: Getting another opportunity to live my life came with enormous responsibility. [9], The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. This is solid gasoline. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. [33] One survivor claimed that a bouncer blocked a side door as attendees attempted to escape the building, stating the door was only to be used by the band. He doesn't know. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. "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. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. There's an exit near the stage. Susan Nicol. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. Things that bring back memories of that night we try to stay away from. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see Great White, an 80s band now with some new members lead by singer Jack Russell and known mainly for their hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy. [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. 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]. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. There was nothing heroic about what I did.. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. [9][10][8] At the time of their performance at the Station, Great White only had two of its original members in its lineup: Lead singer Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? He was granted parole and then released after 22 months. [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. He says he managed to escape through the front door before a stampede of people got stuck in the narrow hallway and blocked the exit. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), R.I. State House homeless encampment removed after legal fight, After the 80th anniversary of the tragic fire, a Cocoanut Grove memorial is coming to Boston, This affordable airline says it will bring at least 20 routes to an R.I. airport. Jody King: He trusted the club. [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. But Saturday night, as . It looked like it was raining black fire. That's how thick the smoke was. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . It would have been my legacy, Vanner said. Michael Derderian also spoke via phone to an investigator. That happened in 2001. Jim Axelrod: Mr. Warner's fax wasn't presented to the grand jury, correct? I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. Cold air washing over me. Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. 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. Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. into the main barroom. Michael Derderian: And I'm saying to him "Did everybody get out Did anyone die?" Gina Russo has no clear memory of how, with her hair on fire, she got out of the Station nightclub the night of Feb. 20, 2003. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Flames can be seen on the back wall. The trunk bears the names of the fire victims. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. 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. Christina Pimentel wasnt at the Station 15 years ago but she remembers the fire that killed 100 people because one of them was her uncle, Carlos Pimentel Sr. [9] Two gerbs were at 45-degree angles, with the middle two pointing straight up. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. 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. I couldn't play an instrument. 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. Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. In September 2008, The Jack Russell Tour Group Inc. offered $1 million in a settlement to survivors and victims' relatives. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. How is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong foam?". At first, there was no panic. But that night, leading the cameraman around was bouncer Tracy King, a dedicated husband and father of three young boys. [49] In 2013, Kendall told The Providence Journal that he maintained amicable contact with some survivors, victims' families, and the Station Fire Memorial Foundation. 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. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. / CBS News. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. Saran was one of the more than 200 who were seriously hurt in the fire. 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'm going to do this. On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history occurred in The Station nightclub. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The brothers say they are still haunted by the events of that horrific night. There was no one coming out the back door anymore. The Foam.". [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. Vanner doesnt know when the night will be over. 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. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. 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, The TIAs also required additional crowd manager personnel, among other things. And yet, at the point in time, I don't think I knew his name. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. [17][16], The concert was emceed by Michael Gonsalves, a disk jockey for Providence rock radio station WHJY who was also known as "Doctor Metal". [32] In April 2003, The Derderians were fined $1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees. 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. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire for a number of months. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. [39], At the scene of the fire, Butler gave this account of the tragedy:[41]. Its surreal. you could not see your hand in front of your face. (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. 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. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". [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. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. "[23] Within 40 seconds of the ignition, Great White had stopped playing and left the stage and the venue's fire alarm began to sound, but it was not connected to local fire department. 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? Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. A decade ago, a survivor . Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. It just so happens that we're evacuated due to the CZU complex fire but hey that's how. "[58], Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. We're running out of time." [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. [39] WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property. But she refuses to live in the past. 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. So, the only way to pick up a can of soda would be to do this [lifting both arms out parallel in front of her]. That exit door would soon be engulfed in flames. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. 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. ", "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. He sees his actions as a verdict on his own humanity. Linda Saran: I said, "you know what? Michael Derderian: That is correct. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. I am proud. I couldn't hear noise. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. [tears up, shaking his head]. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. [9], Thousands of mourners attended an interfaith memorial service at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick on February 24, 2003, to remember those lost in the fire. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? Linda Saran and Phil Barr, badly injured, were transported to a local hospital. (WJAR) WEST WARWICK . He still remembers that deadly night. [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. They promoted the event. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. [99] 41 and a film based on O'Neill's play They Walk Among Us were aired by Rhode Island PBS in February 2013 in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of the fire. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. It was criminal, he says. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. Now, Russo leads the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, which oversees a memorial that stands where the nightclub once went up in flames, The Boston Globe reported. Most people still just stood there. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. [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. 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. [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. Then there's that interior, inward swinging door by the stage that Former Attorney General Patrick Lynch says was responsible for loss of life the night of the fire. Scott James: It should not have happened. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. [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. 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. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. In December 2003, nine months after the fire, Jeff and Michael Derderian were in court, each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter 100 for criminal negligence, and 100 for misdemeanor manslaughter. Built in 1946, the wooden Station nightclub was grandfathered into an exception for laws requiring ceiling fire sprinklers.