that door being up, there is no question that that increased the likelihood that many, many more would perish. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. I've been after this bike for over 4 years and I finally got the call! 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. [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. Jeff Derderian: I remember we were trying to get people away from the building. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Susan Nicol. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. He sees his actions as a verdict on his own humanity. So, it was very quickly they were in the circle of people we should look at. Patrick Lynch: The defendant had every right to go to trial and say, hey, if it's this mysterious fax that it's trying to be referenced today, 18 years later, hey, this is important. Phil Barr: You know just have a beer, see a concert. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. 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's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. That's what the code says. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. Linda Saran: Yes. How he went from being a man with a job he loved and friends, to someone struggling with sobriety and guilt, suffering flashbacks at fire alarms and smoke-like fog. 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. Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? They want to talk to you." He got a tire iron from his car, smashed the glass, and started pulling people out. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. Flames were seen breaking through a part of the roof in less than five minutes. [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". As soon as the pyrotechnics stopped, the flame had started on the egg-crate backing behind the stage, and it just went up the ceiling. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. Out of it. Her bill was $646 that month, she said. Patrick Lynch: I don't think there's any question that had that door not been up a significant number of people would have survived. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. [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. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? He don't know. undisputable. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. 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. Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. [86][87] The memorial dedication ceremony took place on May 21, 2017. [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. 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. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. 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 Foam.". I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. They should have blamed more. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. And it was ugly. I don't even like to talk about it. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. And while they weren't charged in the criminal case, survivors and victims' families sued them in civil court for not warning the Derderians the foam they sent them was flammable. I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. The state of Rhode Island is small," says author Scott James. I can't speak Everything was, you know, sore and hoarse I picked up the pen in very weak, you know, kind of handwriting I wrote, "I hope to make progress every day.". He was the. Marc Goldbaum is the development producer. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian reached a settlement of $813,000 with survivors and victims' families in September 2008. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. Even if he died trying. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. There was a table in the way at the door, and I pulled that out just to get it out of the way so people could get out easier. Absolutely not. And Paul Vanner didnt like what he saw. But it's fun. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. [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]. [2][46] On December 9, 2003, the grand jury announced indictments against Station owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and Great White road manager Daniel M. [32] The fine was not resolved until 2013, ten years after the fire, when it was upheld by a judge. After the investigation ended and prosecutors had no more questions, after reporters stopped calling and the years passed since that deadly night, the man who was the sound technician and stage manager at The Station nightclub was left with his thoughts. and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. It just so happens that we're evacuated due to the CZU complex fire but hey that's how. That evening she had a girl's night out with a friend while her young daughter was at a sleepover. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. That is the furthest exit away from the stage But it's a relatively straight line. 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, Both the brothers had other jobs. But for anyone who was in The Station nightclub on Feb. 20, 2003, she said, a night out triggers an awareness. And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: Rock and Roll is supposed to be fun, not deadly you know. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. At first, there was no panic. I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. It was completely preventable. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. What kind of club was this? [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. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. 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. And he's like he don't know. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. It seems like yesterday We were going to get married in June and she passed away in February, Cain told CBS. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. So that was huge.. [9], The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. I don't care what I'm going to see.". [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. 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. [tearing up] "What a great brother you have. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. I'll be right back." Patrick Lynch: Not only was the door up, which it shouldn't have been, opened inward which it shouldn't have It was covered in foam. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. Great White was part of the lawsuit. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. [21] The flames were initially thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to bank down did people realize it was uncontrolled. [12] Kendall, who had co-founded the band with Russell in 1977, had rejoined Russell's version of the group in 2002. Linda Saran and Phil Barr, badly injured, were transported to a local hospital. [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. His fiance, Tina Ayer, died at 33 in the fire, CBS Boston reported. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. into the main barroom. We have an exit through the kitchen. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. 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. 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. [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. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire. 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. I remember getting pushed from behind. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. [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. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? Jody King: He was gregarious. I went around back. WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- Five years . Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. [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. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case. [97] Russell raised about $180 from the concert, but the Memorial Foundation refused the donation, a decision supported by Kendall. 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. Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. Jody King: I see the horror. Mon, February 20th 2023, 8:29 PM PST. Parole board chairwoman Lisa Holley told journalists of her surprise at the forgiving attitude of the families, saying, "I think the most overwhelming part of it for me was the depth of forgiveness of many of these families that have sustained such a loss. Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". And I remember that statement, because I was, like, this is not great. 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.. 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. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? And I'm like, "OK.". 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.". And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. I couldn't hear noise. 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. And I stood up. I'm going to do this. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. Vanner spoke about how his life derailed after 11:07 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2003. I went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Michael Derderian: We do understand that anger and that's that's why we're here with you. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. [94] Kendall's version of Great White was to perform at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut alongside Stryper and Steven Adler on March 25, 2023, but the venue indefinitely postponed the concert on March 2, citing its proximity to the twentieth anniversary of the fire. In February 2008, Providence television station. Nothing lifts his despair. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. Michael Derderian: We say that they we're sorry for all of it. 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. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. 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. 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. In fact, they did the opposite.". Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. 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. The shooting was first reported at 12:04 a.m. in the 300 block of S. 1st . He trusted in his friends. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. America's Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List explores the Station nightclub fire through gripping survivor accounts and family members and friends of victims who have memorialized their loss . "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. They were friends. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. [6], Great White, the headlining band of the February 20 concert, had risen to fame as part of the glam metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. 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. Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . And why wasn't the foam company charged? Jeff Derderian: They didn't even bring up the fax to him. Am I going to sit here and cry about this? Honored to have been able to attend such an in depth and eye opening training opportunity. Michael Derderian: The club was sold. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. Firefighters responded within five minutes, and the building was fully engulfed within six minutes, according to a timeline assembled by WPRI. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. It's like a surge of bodies. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. I look at my scars every day. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. [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. Linda Saran and her friend Deb were in the atrium, huddled together under a table. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. The club was not equipped with sprinklers, according to the NIST, and crowding at the buildings main entrance made it difficult for people to escape. [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. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. He sees a court-ordered therapist, who has told him he has depression and PTSD. 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. Fifteen years from now, she hopes, her students will go by the park, and have a memory, a connection, with the 100 people whose names and faces are etched into black granite squares arrayed throughout the park. Jeffrey Derderian received 500 hours of community service. these contracts are pretty specific. 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. Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. "[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. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. True to his words, Barr fought to breathe on his own. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. 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? I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. The TIAs required automatic fire sprinklers in all existing nightclubs and similar locations that accommodate more than 100 occupants, and all new locations in the same categories. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. 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. Patrick Lynch: Again, any reference in this conversation about what the brothers say, I I take a step back and think I don't really trust it. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. Since I had been there earlier in the night, I knew that there was at least an exit in the back barroom. 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. Michael Derderian: That is correct. [20], Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. [9] In 2008, American Foam agreed to pay $6.3 million to the families of the victims of the fire. The following day the brothers responded at a press conference: JEFF DERDERIAN: No permission was ever requested by the band or any of its agents to use pyrotechnics at The Station, and no permission was ever given. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. [5] Local bands that had played at the Station prior to the fire had used pyrotechnics during their concerts without incident, including a Kiss tribute band that had set off fireballs during their show in August 2002. [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. Jim Axelrod: I want to ask you about Phil Barr. Jason Hahn. The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. 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. At least 64 others were also sued, including the state of Rhode Island citedforthe fire inspector's failure to report the flammable foam during multiple inspections. [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. [103], Inspired by the fire, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been proposed United States Senate and House of Representatives since 2003. 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. [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 brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. He arrived early around 8:30 p.m. Phil Barr: There really weren't that many people around early in the night. A staggering 100 lives were lost. Jeff Derderian: That door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. He doesn't know. It was late on Feb. 20, 2003, when the cold winter night erupted in flames. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. To the families of those who died on that devastating day: Rhode Island will never forget your loved ones and we will always stand by you, McKee said in the statement. [1] The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill.
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