Jim Axelrod: I want to ask you about Phil Barr. [12] Kendall, who had co-founded the band with Russell in 1977, had rejoined Russell's version of the group in 2002. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. He doesn't know. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. Patrick Lynch: Did he do his job perfectly? Phil Barr: We kind of crouched down behind some of the people in front of us. Nothing lifts his despair. [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. Since the fire, I have wanted to tell the victims and their families how truly sorry I am for what happened that night and the part that I had in it. The Guest List is based in part on John Barylick's narrative non-fiction work, killer show, the station nightclub fire, America's deadliest rock concert. 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. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. The biggest question was, why had the fire spread so quickly? I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. Jody King: We never knew the whole story because the trial never happened, so everything really never came out. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. During a concert by the rock band Great White, a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. "It feels like somebody knew somebody who was in that fire or knew somebody who did, so the pain is very personal.". Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. [27] A portion of the nightclub roof collapsed at 11:57 p.m., and a second portion in the building's sunroom collapsed at 12:07 a.m..[24] Patients were transported to Kent Hospital, which was filled to maximum capacity due to the fire. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. Jeff Derderian: They didn't even bring up the fax to him. Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. The fire seemed to burn quickly, she added. I am proud. And outside I went. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. [22] Biechele used four gerbs that were set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6m) for fifteen seconds. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" 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. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. It looked like it was raining black fire. 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. [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. One of them is never say die, never give up. But she refuses to live in the past. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. They promoted the event. Michael Derderian: That is correct. "Literally laid there and said, 'God please just take care of my family,' because I knew I was going to die,'" survivor Linda Saran recalls. And then we've got the pressure from the judge saying you know, you're going to go to jail for 30 years apiece. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. And settled for $1 million. But Jeff Derderian, who was helping out at the bar, says he and an employee tried to get to the stage with a fire extinguisher. 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. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? [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". He owned his own construction company, and he was often in the backyard with his sons, improving the landscape or building two ponds that he filled with koi fish. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. As a result of this and other similar incidents, fire chiefs, fire marshals and inspectors require trained crowd managers to comply with the International Fire Code, NFPA-101 Life Safety Code, NFPA-1 Fire Code and many local ordinances that address safety in public-assembly occupancies. WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - Saturday marks the 18-year anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire that left lasting scars on numerous families and the state of Rhode Island. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. The Foam.". Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. And he says you can. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. 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.. Survivors and friends of survivors active in the effort to turn the nightclub site in West Warwick into a memorial park recount the emotional journeys that brought them from 2003 to 2018.. And so, when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the door, the door did come down. 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. That evening she had a girl's night out with a friend while her young daughter was at a sleepover. She paused, her eyes tearing. 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 Derderian: Correct. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. [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. The fire quickly spread over the dance floor, along the ceiling. As of September 2008, at least $115 million in settlement agreements had been paid, or offered, to the victims or their families by various defendants. It was late on Feb. 20, 2003, when the cold winter night erupted in flames. Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. 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. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. 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. Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. if he had done that, then he would have obviously have said to us . I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. It was completely preventable. / CBS News. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. And people just stood there. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. I couldn't get up. Jody King: I see the horror. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. But I made a choice. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. [12] Russell's relation with some survivors and families has been strained, although he remains close to Longley's family. into the main barroom. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. But with last years dedication of the Station Memorial Park on the site of the nightclub, she said she found that along with the scars, that night had provided her with a purpose in life and people she would otherwise never have known. It didn't have a lock on it. Most people still just stood there. When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. He sees his actions as a verdict on his own humanity. [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. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. Linda Saran and her friend Deb were in the atrium, huddled together under a table. [9] Michael Derderian told 48 Hours that it was "Undisputable" that the building's use of flammable packing foam instead of flame retardant sound foam was the cause of the fire's spread, but the brothers claimed that they had ordered sound foam and had received the packing foam instead. It was like what? He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. One near the bar. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. True to his words, Barr fought to breathe on his own. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. [102] It is left for each state or local jurisdiction to legally enact and enforce the current code changes. But he didn't know what. Survivors of the Station nightclub fire reflect on tragedy's 20th anniversary One hundred people were killed and many more injured when a pyrotechnic display caused a massive blaze in 2003.. Why had the fire spread so quickly? Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. 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. 9. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. it became very, very hard to breathe. There isn't a guilt in terms of like, that we knowingly did this or or caused it but there's a guilt that we it happened on our watch, happened on our watch. Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. . I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". 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 Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. And I knew the window was to my left. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. These are videos of prior performances taken inside the club. [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. These days, she uses her job as a teacher at John F. Deering Middle School to make it so those who didnt suffer so directly will remember it too. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. [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. Even if he died trying. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. [21] Thick smoke began to fill the station one minute after the ignition and the crowd began to escape the building. We couldn't make it. The message is, Dont forget. Never forget these people or forget what happened., Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. I went over, put my hands against the glass, and I started kicking at that window and it wouldn't break. 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. 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. A staggering 100 lives were lost. these contracts are pretty specific. Jim Axelrod: If you have a message that you want the people of Rhode Island to hear, there were plenty of ways to get it out long before now. The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. "We wanted the full story to come out, not just some of it, and for people who want to come to their own conclusion on what happened that night," says Jeff Derderian. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. [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. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. It fuels you. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. [35], The fire, from its inception, was caught on videotape by cameraman Brian Butler for WPRI-TV of Providence, and the beginning of that tape was released to national news stations. Share. 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. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM [90] The band initially retired "Desert Moon", the song they were performing when the fire began, from their concert set list. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. [48] Larocque had set various capacities for the Station in the years prior to the fire based on whether pool tables and other items could be moved. Jody King: I spent the next five or six hours going back and forth in the parking lot talking to firemen, asking firemen, "can you please pull the sheets back for me? then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. She endured more than 50 operations. [88], Russell considered disbanding Great White after the fire, but reconsidered when he decided to embark on a benefit tour. They all later accepted plea deals. [15][16] All the members of Trip escaped the Station without injury, but two members of Fathead, cousins Keith and Steven Mancini, died in the fire. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. ", Scott James: They had their moments. Am I going to sit here and cry about this? It was really everything to me at that time. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. [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. And they played the arenas. These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. In my head, I didnt even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.. [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. But with last springs dedication of the memorial on the old nightclub site, Del Sesto said she thinks she has found a way not to forget, but to live with the memories. That was in like the 80s. How is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong foam?". Russell 's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the fourth deadliest fire in U.S. history. One of the angles Lynch investigated was the Derderian brothers. 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. The Foam.". Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? 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? Linda Saran: I said, "you know what? [85] By April 2016, $1.65 million of the $2 million fundraising goal had been achieved and construction of the Station Fire Memorial Park had commenced. 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. 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. And they're quick to point out the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. It was liquid fire. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. Saran was one of the more than 200 who were seriously hurt in the fire. 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. 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. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. 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. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. 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. The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos 98 PHOTOS More Stories Has fire prevention in RI improved since The Station fire? [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. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. We have an exit through the kitchen. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. Firefighters responded within five minutes, and the building was fully engulfed within six minutes, according to a timeline assembled by WPRI. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. Jeff Derderian: this is flammable you can't have this. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. How did you meet him? 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. "I literally baked alive," says Linda Barr. " (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. It seems like yesterday We were going to get married in June and she passed away in February, Cain told CBS. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. They should have blamed more. I look at my scars every day. As we hold those impacted by this tragedy close in our hearts, we also remember the remarkable and courageous actions of first responders, public safety officials, medical professionals, and Rhode Islanders who sprang into action to save lives on that day and who worked to comfort their communities in the days and weeks following.. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. In the stampede, 21 people were killed. [89] The band raised $185,000 for the Station Family Fund during the tour. And why wasn't the foam company charged? 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. But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. 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. "48 Hours" has confirmed the fax wasnotpresented to the grand jury. The TIAs also required additional crowd manager personnel, among other things. It took a while, she said, but she thinks she had found the way to move on from it but to keep it with her as well. It was criminal, he says. 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. 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. [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. Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. [100], Gonsalves was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio and Television Hall of Fame in 2013. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. There had to be that period for me. [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. View Image Gallery. 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.
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