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]. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, the owners of the Station, pleaded no contest and avoided a trial: Michael received the same sentence as Biechele and was released from prison in 2009, while Jeffrey received a sentence of 500 hours of community service. [86][87] The memorial dedication ceremony took place on May 21, 2017. Linda Saran: Yes. I couldn't get up. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. It just so happens that we're . Jody King: He went on David Letterman twice to do Stupid Human Tricks. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? Jody King: He was gregarious. February 20 is the 19th anniversary of the tragic fire that killed 100 and injured another 230 people at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. [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. And he says you can. [2], In the months prior to the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. We took shortcuts. Since I had been there earlier in the night, I knew that there was at least an exit in the back barroom. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. [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. [58], On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. And I'm like, "OK.". Tracy King liked to entertain people with his unique talent. Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? He was the. 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. I figured I was on my own at that point.. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". Phil Barr: You know just have a beer, see a concert. Stephen Sweet, a Quincy firefighter who lost his cousin Shawn Sweet in the fire, came to play the bagpipes at a memorial ceremony Monday, WCVB reported. "I literally baked alive," says Linda Barr. " [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]. Petrarca remembers one of the most beautiful moments shes had. [60] As of 2013[update], Biechele lived in Florida with his wife and two children. S01:E02 - Joplin Tornado. [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. Absolutely not. She spoke with the Globe about Jefferey and Michael Derderian, the . It's like a surge of bodies. "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. This is solid gasoline. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. This is a massive part of my life. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. Most people still just stood there. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. 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. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see the band Great White. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. Jim Axelrod: When you come to, you're in a hospital room. In the months and years that followed, Jody also learned about Tracy's heroic last moments. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . it was also on fire. Jeff Derderian: I don't know. I couldn't hear noise. 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. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. 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. He was out there, and he just loved being in the center. Michael Derderian: The club was sold. They want to talk to you." and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. [21] Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing and lead singer Jack Russell calmly remarked into the microphone, "Wow that's not good. I found my soul was wanting.. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? One guy did crawl out. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. Purchase and sale had been signed. Michael Derderian also spoke via phone to an investigator. [103], Inspired by the fire, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been proposed United States Senate and House of Representatives since 2003. . Both the brothers had other jobs. [2], Prior to the fire, the Station often hosted concerts by 1980s hard rock groups and tribute bands. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She had a cellphone that was working and handed it off to anyone who needed to call home and let their family know they were safe. Her father wont visit the memorial, and it took her years to be able to drive down Cowesett Avenue, she said. Jack Russell declined "48 Hours"' request for an interview. 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. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. 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]. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. They were friends. They were told to take it down. some bleeding I could notice in my throat. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. Phil Barr: Yep. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. [90] Russell planned to donate the proceeds to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, but the organization asked to be disassociated from the concert, citing the animosity still felt by many of the survivors and surviving families. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? 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. [9] In 2008, American Foam agreed to pay $6.3 million to the families of the victims of the fire. Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. But I should have at least tried.. 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. [88], Russell considered disbanding Great White after the fire, but reconsidered when he decided to embark on a benefit tour. That night, he allowed a cameraman to shoot footage inside the club for an upcoming story about safety in public venues. 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. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. [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. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: Rock and Roll is supposed to be fun, not deadly you know. Jeffrey Derderian received 500 hours of community service. Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. "[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. ", "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. The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:21. [63] Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected strenuously to the plea bargain, saying that both brothers should have received jail time and that Michael Derderian should have received more time than Biechele. An off-duty police officer standing outside had heard her kicking at the window. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. For more information on your department or district joining the SAVE program click here or contact the California Fire Foundation at save@cpf.org or (916) 641-1707. For years, he worked in Boston for Channel 7. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. 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. "[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. 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 . Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. . They all later accepted plea deals. 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.. Cold air washing over me. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The Station nightclub fire, where 100 people died and hundreds more were hurt, will never be forgotten by those who were there or lost loved ones that February night.. Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. I had no control over my muscles. The Station nightclub in West Warwick burned down on Feb. 20, 2003, during a concert by rock band Great White, leaving 100 people dead and more than 200 injured. 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. [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. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. Susan Nicol. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. [89] The band raised $185,000 for the Station Family Fund during the tour. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. You know people didn't react instantly. Three days after the station fire, Jody King finally got the news that his brother Tracy's body had been found. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. 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. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." 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? It justit was so fast. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. Phil Barr: I loved it. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. We couldn't make it. And the following year he was able to accomplish the impossible and rejoin his swim team. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. 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. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. You should be proud." The brothers say they are still haunted by the events of that horrific night. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, did not. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. The Foam.". They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. I refused to accept that as the outcome. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. It was late on Feb. 20, 2003, when the cold winter night erupted in flames. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? into the main barroom. 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. "[58], Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. 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. Michael Derderian: No. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, were resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. The Foam.". Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, "Yeah, that's great!" JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. Jason Hahn. 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. 2021, shooting at a San Jose rail station. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. I needed for that day to come, she said. It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. Things that bring back memories of that night we try to stay away from. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. What kind of club was this? 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. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. And I knew the window was to my left. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. [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. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. [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. And I fell down the stairs, out that door. Jim Axelrod: If the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can continue to do business. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. 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. Biechele. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. 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. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. "We went out on a Thursday night to listen to music, drink some beers and have a good time. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. 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. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. It was liquid fire. They didn't even let him talk about it. I am proud. 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? For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. Flames were seen breaking through a part of the roof in less than five minutes. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. [82] The stop was removed from the game by developer Niantic later that month. Stay up to date with everything Boston. She got out. [97] Russell raised about $180 from the concert, but the Memorial Foundation refused the donation, a decision supported by Kendall. Firefighters responded within five minutes, and the building was fully engulfed within six minutes, according to a timeline assembled by WPRI. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. [100], Gonsalves was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio and Television Hall of Fame in 2013. [93] After a 2013 legal settlement between the two parties, Kendall's band retained the Great White name, while Russell's band was allowed to use the name Jack Russell's Great White. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. Nightclub Fire", "Judge Accepts Plea Deal in Rhode Island Fire", "Co-owner of R.I. club where 100 died to be released early", "Band to pay $1M in case over deadly club fire", "Great White offers $1M to settle fatal fire suits", "Derderians reach settlement in nightclub fire", "Governments offer $20 million in RI nightclub fire", "Packaging company settles in R.I. nightclub fire", "McLaughlin & Moran, Anheuser-Busch offer $21M settlement in Station fire case", "Home Depot Settles In R.I. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. 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. 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 screwed up." Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. One of them is never say die, never give up. 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. 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. For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. [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. When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. But I made a choice. I'll be right back." I would forgive them in a heartbeat. "It feels like somebody knew somebody who was in that fire or knew somebody who did, so the pain is very personal.". you could not see your hand in front of your face. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. A staggering 100 lives were lost. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. these contracts are pretty specific. They promoted the event. 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. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. Michael Derderian: And I'm saying to him "Did everybody get out Did anyone die?" my dad was in the room. [42][43] The Station, which was built in 1946, was exempt from a sprinkler requirement in the state fire code through a grandfather clause, which stated that buildings constructed before 1976 were not required to have a sprinkler system. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch.

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