Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . 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. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. / CBS News. he was very kind about it, but he said, "I don't ever see you competitively swimming again." American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. 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. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. Their story starts three years before the fire. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. But then the door would go back up when it was going to be a loud night. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. The morning after the fire, the lead singer of Great White, Jack Russell, claimed the brothers had given the band permission to set off the fireworks. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". Her father has seven brothers, Pimentel said, and she was especially close to Carlos. and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. And I knew the window was to my left. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. Flames soon appeared on the walls on either side of the stage and spread quickly along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling, intended to dampen sound. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. 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. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. View Image Gallery. Those who were trapped inside The Station when the flames started knew they needed to get out fast. 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.. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. This is a massive part of my life. I'll be right back." They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. 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. It was already in contract. He trusted the owners. The Foam.". Nightclub Fire", "3 indicted in R.I. rock concert fire - UPI Archives", "The Derderians are on a 'white-wash tour' about The Station fire, says father who lost son", "The strange and terrible true story of Great White, and the Station nightclub fire", "3 Men Are Indicted in Fire At Rhode Island Nightclub", "Foam company offers Station nightclub fire plaintiffs $6.3M settlement", "DAN BIECHELE SPEAKS Pre-Sentencing Statement GREAT WHITE TOUR MANAGER Station Nightclub Fire RI", "Fury, Tears and 4-Year Term in Deadly Blaze", "Band manager who ignited deadly Rhode Island nightclub fire freed from prison", "Manager Sentenced for Rhode Island Nightclub Fire", "Many families of Station fire victims supporting parole for band manager", "Band manager who ignited R.I. club fire is freed", "After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla", "Derderians will plead; AG says he opposes sentencing deal", "2 Brothers to Plead No Contest in R.I. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. Season 1. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. And Paul Vanner didnt like what he saw. I couldn't play an instrument. In fact, they did the opposite.". The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. It was really everything to me at that time. 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. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. 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. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. [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. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. We have an exit through the kitchen. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" 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. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? [47] Larocque was not charged by the grand jury, as Lynch had cited a state law that prevented charges against fire marshals without proof of bad faith. When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. 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. 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]. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. [62], In a letter to the victims' families, Judge Darigan wrote that he accepted the deal because he wanted to avoid "Public exposition of the tragic, explicit and horrific events experienced by the victims of this fire, both living and dead. How did you meet him? Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian reached a settlement of $813,000 with survivors and victims' families in September 2008. She paused, her eyes tearing. Jody King: As I went by the fire station fire trucks are coming out Now the question in my head is why are all these firetrucks leaving? Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? That is the furthest exit away from the stage But it's a relatively straight line. [2] The follow-up inspection in December 2002 also did not cite the foam, and the inspector gave the building an "All OK" rating on his inspection form. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. That happened in 2002. Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. They should have blamed more. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. Flames can be seen on the back wall. Jim Axelrod: I want to ask you about Phil Barr. Jeff Derderian: We feel a sense of guilt about what happened in the sense that you carry the guilt of knowing that these people aren't here anymore, and these people are hurt for the rest of their life. 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? Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. Michael Derderian: Zero. 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. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. [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. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . Michael Derderian: He finds the deficiencies, you have to correct the deficiencies and then signs off so that you so you can get your liquor license that happened in 2000. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Jeff Derderian, seated right, says, "You know a day doesn't go by that we don't think about it in some way, shape or form.". Jody King: They blamed three. [89] Kendall said in 2005, "We haven't played that song. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. 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. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". As were going down the stairs to get into the comedy club, in the heart of Times Square, the first thought that goes through my mind: I come back and look and go: Are there two exits down there? she said. [9], The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. [21], By this time, the nightclub's fire alarm had activated, and although there were four possible exits, most people headed for the front door through which they had entered. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. 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 fire was the fourth-deadliest at a nightclub in U.S. history, and the second-deadliest in New England, behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire, which resulted in 492 deaths. Jim Axelrod: If the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can continue to do business. One near the bar. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. . DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. Scott James: He writes up this long, almost a manifesto about all the things that he thinks are wrong in that foam company that led to this tragedy. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. "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. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." 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. Most people still just stood there. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. Phil Barr: I don't like to talk about it, but I remember feeling weight on top of me, and I'm pretty sure I crawled out from under another person to pull myself up. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: Rock and Roll is supposed to be fun, not deadly you know. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. A staggering 100 lives were lost. Tracy King liked to entertain people with his unique talent. Linda Saran was a regular at The Station. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? 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.. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. 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. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. It just so happens that we're evacuated due to the CZU complex fire but hey that's how. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. Vanner has no excuses. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. Since 2003, the approach of the anniversary of the Station fire, where she and her twin sister, Cara Ann, got out unhurt while 100 others died and about 200 more were injured, was four weeks of dread. There was no one coming out the back door anymore. MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. Susan Nicol. "48 Hours" has confirmed the fax wasnotpresented to the grand jury. One guy did crawl out. 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. [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. Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. It justit was so fast. And that song reminds us of that night. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. Jody King says his brother enjoyed working for the Derderians. This is solid gasoline. It didn't have a lock on it. I needed for that day to come, she said. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. But she refuses to live in the past. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. [101], The Derderian brothers conducted their first television interview about the fire in 2021 for 48 Hours. 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. Phil Barr: A lot of people moved back towards the main entrance it became really clear that we were not going to be able [to] get out the front door. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. Great White was part of the lawsuit. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see Great White, an 80s band now with some new members lead by singer Jack Russell and known mainly for their hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy. And I fell down the stairs, out that door. [32] In April 2003, The Derderians were fined $1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. Michael Derderian: Correct. Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. 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. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? [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. 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. That specific. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. [77], A benefit memorial concert was held in February 2008 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence and featured performances by Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger, Gretchen Wilson, and John Rich. 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. there are other people who should be responsible. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". He said if there's. 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 . It looked like it was raining black fire. WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) Gina Russo, who survived The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick in 2003, spoke with NBC 10's Mario Hilario on the morning of the 20th anniversary of the. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. I couldn't get up. "[58], Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. Like, "get away from the building." That happened in 2001. After 15 years of it being a dominant part of her everyday life, she said she is ready for it to be a part of her past. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. [81] In August 2016, the site was reported to have been being used as a PokeStop in Pokmon Go, to uproar from victims' families. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, were resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. You were not approaching that area at all. But it's fun. 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.. This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. Since he co-owned The Station nightclub with his brother Michael Derderian, Jeff suggested it as a venue for generic nightclub footage. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. 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. [37] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. She got out. [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.
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