I had no control over my muscles. During a concert by the rock band Great White, a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. [1] The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill. How is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong foam?". For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the Station nightclub fire, one of the deadliest blazes to ever occur at a nightclub in the United States. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? 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. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. you could not see your hand in front of your face. Fifteen years since that terrible night. Even if he died trying. [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. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. [48] Some victims' families criticized the 48 Hours segment and the Derderians' involvement. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. And I never expected it to take off as fast as it did. Phil Barr: I loved it. However, fire professionals have few choices about what training should be provided and training programs are continually updated to incorporate new technologies as well as lessons learned from actual fire experiences. [12] Russell's relation with some survivors and families has been strained, although he remains close to Longley's family. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. [32] In April 2003, The Derderians were fined $1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees. The Derderians bought the club as an investment. It took a while, she said, but she thinks she had found the way to move on from it but to keep it with her as well. There's an exit near the stage. For years, he worked in Boston for Channel 7. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. Everybody just kind of turned. She saw friends who had lost people they loved, others who had been burned and scarred by the fire, and felt embarrassed that she got out physically unharmed. [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. 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? 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. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. 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. 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. It did not. Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. Those who were trapped inside The Station when the flames started knew they needed to get out fast. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire for a number of months. 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]. [9] In 2005, the Rhode Island Attorney General office received a fax from Barry Warner, a former employee of American Foam who lived nearby the Station, who claimed the company had known about the dangers of polyurethane foam but did not warn their employees about it. Linda Saran: The night of the fire I got in for free. [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 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. Phil Barr: You know just have a beer, see a concert. Jack Russell declined "48 Hours"' request for an interview. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. The Feb. 20, 2003. 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. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [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. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. Flames were seen breaking through a part of the roof in less than five minutes. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. [58], On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008. [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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. [49] In 2013, Kendall told The Providence Journal that he maintained amicable contact with some survivors, victims' families, and the Station Fire Memorial Foundation. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? Phil Barr: Yep. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. It was that fast. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- Five years . [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. 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. 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. One guy did crawl out. 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. He was the. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. I couldn't get up. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? 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.. It just so happens that we're . About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . [18][19] Gonsalves was the host of the WHJY program The Metal Zone, at the time the longest-running heavy metal radio program in the United States. It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. I couldn't hear noise. This is solid gasoline. Flames can be seen on the back wall. 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? I miss Tina a lot. I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. And people just stood there. 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. Share. And a quarter of those people didn't get to go home ever," says survivor Linda Saran, who was severely burned in the fire at The Station nightclub. Nine friends didnt. [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. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. 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. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. This is the time to leave. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. Mon, February 20th 2023, 8:29 PM PST. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. it was also on fire. 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. 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. Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. [43][45], An investigation of the fire by a Rhode Island state grand jury was started by then-Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch on February 26, 2003. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? Russell 's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the fourth deadliest fire in U.S. history. *One SAVE card issued per household that experiences 25% or greater damage to a primary residence. 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. [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. Barr was located between the stage and the front door. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. Things that bring back memories of that night we try to stay away from. Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. It was really everything to me at that time. The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. The tour manager for the rock band Great White pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. (WJAR) WEST WARWICK . There was no one coming out the back door anymore. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. Biechele and Michael Derderian went to prison. [60] As of 2013[update], Biechele lived in Florida with his wife and two children. Vanner doesnt know when the night will be over. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. 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. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. undisputable. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. He don't know. [9], The fire was reported to the West Warwick Fire Department by cellular phone calls to 911 within sixty seconds of ignition[24]. [102] It is left for each state or local jurisdiction to legally enact and enforce the current code changes. PROVIDENCE Over the years Dave Kane has had to find a place to store his outrage over losing his 18-year-old son, Nicholas, in The Station nightclub fire in 2003. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? 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. [15][16] All the members of Trip escaped the Station without injury, but two members of Fathead, cousins Keith and Steven Mancini, died in the fire. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." [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. Cassidy was questioned by Customs and Border Protection in 2016, three sources familiar with the probe . Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. 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. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. 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. The answer is no. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. "Literally laid there and said, 'God please just take care of my family,' because I knew I was going to die,'" survivor Linda Saran recalls. Out of it. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. We have an exit through the kitchen. 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. And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. Susan Nicol. Like, "get away from the building." Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, who was behind her, pushing her toward the door, perished. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. That was his gift. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. Michael Derderian: The club was sold. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. Tweet. [2] The three were each charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter with criminal negligence and 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in violation of a misdemeanor. [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. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. 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. The charge is pending. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. [22] Biechele used four gerbs that were set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6m) for fifteen seconds. I went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." That evening she had a girl's night out with a friend while her young daughter was at a sleepover. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Why had the fire spread so quickly? It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. The shooting was first reported at 12:04 a.m. in the 300 block of S. 1st . 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. 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. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. and I just kind of went down on my face. Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. It looked like it was raining black fire. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? 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.. 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. 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. The pyrotechnics ignited the walls on either side of the stage and within seconds flames spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling of the club intended to dampen sound. Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. 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. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am. The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. 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. And he's like he don't know. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. There was nothing heroic about what I did.. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. [44] The NIST report was released on March 3, 2005 and was made available in two parts on June 30, 2005. Stay up to date with everything Boston. Cold air washing over me. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. Both the brothers had other jobs. [37] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. [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. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" The biggest question was, why had the fire spread so quickly?