[58] Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to the families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. 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. 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. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. Scott James: It should not have happened. It was already in contract. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's 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. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. 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. But it's fun. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. 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. 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. / CBS News. He got a tire iron from his car, smashed the glass, and started pulling people out. And people just stood there. my dad was in the room. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. 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. [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. 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. 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.. (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. We screwed up." 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. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. The fire quickly spread over the dance floor, along the ceiling. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. The brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. "[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. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. You should be proud." Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. 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. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. 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. It's like a surge of bodies. 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. "[5], Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. Linda Saran: They have said they were sorry. Jeff Derderian: That door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out. 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. [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. 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 . These are videos of prior performances taken inside the club. They were told to take it down. Why had the fire spread so quickly? [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. Scott James: You have four exits. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. Tracy King liked to entertain people with his unique talent. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. The third started that day. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. 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. Phil Barr: We kind of crouched down behind some of the people in front of us. [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. I said to myself, we gotta go. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" [97] Russell raised about $180 from the concert, but the Memorial Foundation refused the donation, a decision supported by Kendall. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. [61], In January 2008, the Parole Board decided to grant Michael Derderian an early release; he was scheduled to be released from prison in September 2009, but was granted his release in June 2009 for good behavior.[64]. The fire seemed to burn quickly, she added. And he says you can. 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 flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. 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. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. Her bill was $646 that month, she said. 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]. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. 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 people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. [104] It was last introduced in the House in 2015 by then-U.S. Reps. James Langevin of Rhode Island and Tom Reed of New York.[104]. 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]. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. 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. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian reached a settlement of $813,000 with survivors and victims' families in September 2008. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. Jody King: He was gregarious. He was the. But Saturday night, as . And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. That's when I turned back. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." 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. He trusted in his friends. Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. 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.. Nine friends didnt. It just so happens that we're evacuated due to the CZU complex fire but hey that's how. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. Nightclub Fire", "WHJY, Clear Channel offer $22M Station fire settlement", "Service recalls victims of nightclub fire - Feb. 25, 2003", "Families visit scene of deadly nightclub fire - Feb. 24, 2003", "Concert for nightclub fire survivors nets $25K", "Governor McKee Statement on 20th Anniversary of Station Nightclub Fire | Governor's Office, State of Rhode Island", "Station Nightclub Fire Memorial On Track For 2016 Opening", "Timeline: Station Nightclub Fire, 15 year anniversary", "Station nightclub site will no longer be Pokemon Go destination", "Owner of burned RI club donates land for memorial", "Job Lot customers respond to Station Fire Memorial drive", "Memorial park dedicated to victims of Station Nightclub Fire", "Great White: Performing again is the right thing", "Providence nightclub fire charity rebuffs Great White singer", "After the fire: Great White, survivors live with the horror of Rhode Island tragedy", "Rhode Island Club Fire Tragedy Revisited with Members of Rock Band Great White", "Now There's Two Versions Of Great White | Metal Insider", "After The Fire: Feelings mixed and emotions high as Jack Russell's Great White return to New England", "Great White And Jack Russell Reach Agreement Over Use Of Band Name", "Great White singer's fire memorial concert nixed", "Mohegan Sun postpones Great White concert booked close to Station fire anniversary", "Documentary on youngest Station victim to be aired", "Films by RIC Alum Are Among Station Nightclub Fire Tributes", National Fire Protection Association web page "Nightclubs/assembly occupancies", Guide to the Station Nightclub Victims' Collection from the Rhode Island State Archives, Great Zeppelin: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Station_nightclub_fire&oldid=1142630889, Building and structure fires in the United States, February 2003 events in the United States, Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2013, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". [59], Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. We're running out of time." And I stood up. 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. 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. 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 The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. But even more than walking, Phil wanted to return to swimming. She paused, her eyes tearing. They should have blamed more. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. [100], Gonsalves was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio and Television Hall of Fame in 2013. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . [103], Inspired by the fire, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been proposed United States Senate and House of Representatives since 2003. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. [49][50], Lynch told 48 Hours that his investigation found that the fire spread quickly due to the foam the Derderians had installed in the Station's walls and ceilings as a response to noise complaints. 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. Phil Barr: Yep. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. 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. In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1. [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. Inspection records showed that just three months before the fire, the Derderians had been cited by the local fire marshal for having a secondary, interior door by the stage that opened inward, which violated regulations. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. I am proud. When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. fine against Station Nightclub owners upheld", "Station nightclub fire survivor tells how she's moved on in new book", "The Station fire took emotional toll on survivors, study finds", "Tentative $30 million deal in R. I. nightclub fire", "TV station that assigned reporter to cover his own nightclub raises ethical issue", "Station Video Spurs Lawsuit - Pollstar News", "Nightclub owner resigns from WPRI television", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire: Appendices (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 2", "Grand Jury Convened to Probe Deadly R.I.
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