[101], The Derderian brothers conducted their first television interview about the fire in 2021 for 48 Hours. He still remembers that deadly night. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Jeff Derderian: You know a day doesn't go by that we don't think about it in some way, shape or form. 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. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . "[5], Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. 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. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. Barr was located between the stage and the front door. But their plans for the future would suddenly change. Nine friends didnt. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. Scott James: It should not have happened. I'm going to do this. local Four nonstop. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. 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. First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. Linda Saran: That's when you make a decision. [86][87] The memorial dedication ceremony took place on May 21, 2017. [2] The club was cited for nine minor code violations during the first inspection in November 2002, but was not cited for the flammable polyurethane foam the venue used for soundproofing, which was against code. [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. [21] The Station did not have a sprinkler system installed. [2], In the months prior to the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. In the stampede, 21 people were killed. I miss Tina a lot. 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. [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. Jody King: He was gregarious. He got a tire iron from his car, smashed the glass, and started pulling people out. Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. 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. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. Susan Nicol. you could not see your hand in front of your face. 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.". It was crowded, and it was getting bad. He was granted parole and then released after 22 months. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. [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. 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.. Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? [21], Among those who died in the fire were Great White guitarist Ty Longley, and the show's emcee, WHJY DJ Mike "The Doctor" Gonsalves. 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. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. 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. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. 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]. Patrick Lynch: Did he do his job perfectly? [58], On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire. It was like what? Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. He says he managed to escape through the front door before a stampede of people got stuck in the narrow hallway and blocked the exit. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. The Derderians have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. [9], The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. Linda Saran: My hospital roommate, he and I took turns driving the respiratory therapist crazy in some ways it's almost like being in war together. That's what the code says. Even if he died trying. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. 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 [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. And he says you can. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. We took shortcuts. 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. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. As we mark 20 years since that night, here are those who. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. 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? Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". Great White was part of the lawsuit. This is a massive part of my life. [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. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. You should be proud." 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.. You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. [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. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. In 2017 a memorial was opened to honor the100 innocent lives that were tragically lost in The Station fire, including Tracy King, who died saving so many others. Phil Barr: Yep. 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. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. 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. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. In February 2006 three years after the station nightclub burned down many in Rhode Island were shocked to learn that instead of a trial, a plea deal had been reached with Daniel Biechele, the tour manager for the band Great White. 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. 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?
station nightclub fire survivors list