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. 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. We're running out of time." When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. John Barylick is an attorney who represented victims in numerous wrongful death and personal injury cases arising from the Station nightclub fire. [2], Prior to being converted into a nightclub and concert venue, the Station building had been used as a restaurant and tavern. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history occurred in The Station nightclub. [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. [37] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. In my head, I didnt even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.. . At the opening of the park I had 100 students from my school come, and I had to explain it all so I gave them their learning experience, she said of last Mays dedication of the park on the site of the Station nightclub. This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. 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. Jim Axelrod: The fire spread so quickly because rather than fire-retardant sound foam, on the wall of the club was highly flammable packing foam. But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire. 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. So, I said to Deb, "stay here. [89] Kendall said in 2005, "We haven't played that song. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. [9] Two gerbs were at 45-degree angles, with the middle two pointing straight up. 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. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. And outside I went. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. That night, he allowed a cameraman to shoot footage inside the club for an upcoming story about safety in public venues. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. 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. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. [101], The Derderian brothers conducted their first television interview about the fire in 2021 for 48 Hours. I have to find him. The fire left her with burns over 40 percent of her body, it incinerated her hair. I had no control over my muscles. [9] American Foam refuted the claims in Warner's fax. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. [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. Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. 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]. I couldn't hear noise. Since he co-owned The Station nightclub with his brother Michael Derderian, Jeff suggested it as a venue for generic nightclub footage. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. In the days after the fire, victims' families and survivors faced a harsh new reality. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. he was very kind about it, but he said, "I don't ever see you competitively swimming again." A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. 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. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. They were told to take it down. His work was instrumental in amassing 176 million dollars in settlements from persons and corporations responsible for the fire. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. [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. [7][8] They were best known for their 1989 cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. local Four nonstop. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . That's when I turned back. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. But I should have at least tried.. Built in 1946, the wooden Station nightclub was grandfathered into an exception for laws requiring ceiling fire sprinklers. They promoted the event. The charge is pending. "It feels like somebody knew somebody who was in that fire or knew somebody who did, so the pain is very personal.". The club was sold. Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. The Derderians bought the club as an investment. For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. Cold air washing over me. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. 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 through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones Everybody just kind of turned. The Foam.". At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Michael Derderian also spoke via phone to an investigator. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. I'll be right back." Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. 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. 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 through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. 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. But, you know, they have this following to this day . Biechele was released from prison in 2008 after some families of the victims expressed their support for his parole. 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. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". Absolutely not. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. Linda Saran: I said, "you know what? [12] Great White's popularity had waned in the decade prior to the Station fire, and they had been performing on a touring circuit of small clubs with capacities of up to 500 people. I'm going to do this. That is the furthest exit away from the stage But it's a relatively straight line. Stay up to date with everything Boston. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. 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. Barr was now outside, but he felt like his lungs were on fire. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. Mon, February 20th 2023, 8:29 PM PST. 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. He arrived early around 8:30 p.m. Phil Barr: There really weren't that many people around early in the night. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? She paused, her eyes tearing. into the main barroom. [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. 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. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury to determine if anyone should face criminal charges. The fire quickly spread over the dance floor, along the ceiling. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. And why wasn't the foam company charged? (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. One near the bar. Do you understand that anger? When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, "Yeah, that's great!" Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. As numerous violations of existing codes contributed to the severity of the fire, there was immediate effort to strengthen fire code protections.

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