station nightclub fire survivors list

. 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. This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. She endured more than 50 operations. [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]. 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. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. [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. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. Jody King: He went on David Letterman twice to do Stupid Human Tricks. local Four nonstop. So, I would think that the pyrotechnic provision would be in there just like we need to have, you know, 12 M&Ms, I mean, you know, and they need to be brown. The Feb. 20, 2003. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. The Foam.". [101], The Derderian brothers conducted their first television interview about the fire in 2021 for 48 Hours. REELZ announces documentary about Great White club fire She paused, her eyes tearing. But he didn't know what. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" (WJAR) WEST WARWICK . [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. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. [100], Gonsalves was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio and Television Hall of Fame in 2013. [32] In April 2003, The Derderians were fined $1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, were resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. It was criminal, he says. 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. It seems like yesterday We were going to get married in June and she passed away in February, Cain told CBS. "[5], Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. 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. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. 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. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. 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. And I was responsible for the day to day. Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. 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.". Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. At first, there was no panic. 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. [51], Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in the venue as a cause for the causalities during the fire. Tracy died never giving up. 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. Christina Pimentel wasnt at the Station 15 years ago but she remembers the fire that killed 100 people because one of them was her uncle, Carlos Pimentel Sr. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. [89] Kendall said in 2005, "We haven't played that song. They should have blamed more. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. [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. On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history occurred in The Station nightclub. [44] The NIST report was released on March 3, 2005 and was made available in two parts on June 30, 2005. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. Linda Saran and her friend Deb were in the atrium, huddled together under a table. Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 people. The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. [58], On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008. Fifteen years since that terrible night. [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. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. Two decades after 100 people were killed in the West Warwick, R.I. fire, those affected by the incident are reflecting on that tragic night. Her father has seven brothers, Pimentel said, and she was especially close to Carlos. Jason Hahn. There was nothing heroic about what I did.. I can only pray that they understand that I would do anything to undo what happened that night and give them back their loved ones. [22] Biechele used four gerbs that were set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6m) for fifteen seconds. The story of three survivors that were trapped when the massive Cypress Street viaduct collapsed. [2], Prior to the fire, the Station often hosted concerts by 1980s hard rock groups and tribute bands. In the aftermath, West Warwick, Rhode Island TV news reporter Jeff Derderian wanted to run a story on nightclub safety. [11] For the 2003 tour, the band was billed as "Jack Russell's Great White". It all started around 11 p.m. when the rock band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and the group's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, set off four large fireworks called gerbs. 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. some bleeding I could notice in my throat. [6], Great White, the headlining band of the February 20 concert, had risen to fame as part of the glam metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. [76] The Rhode Island state fire code was changed after the fire to require every nightclub in the state with a capacity of over 150 people to have a sprinkler system installed.[3]. In an exclusive interview with "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod, the Derderians said they wanted to set the record straight and reveal new information about that foam and accountability. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. This is a massive part of my life. Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? The Station Nightclub Fire: A Horrific First-Person View of the She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. I'm going to do this. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Share. Station Benefit Concert Nets $25,000 After Broadcast As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - Saturday marks the 18-year anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire that left lasting scars on numerous families and the state of Rhode Island. 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. it was also on fire. The brothers, however, find that hard to believe considering the foam covered the walls, ceiling and even the inward swinging door he cited as a violation. That's how thick the smoke was. 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.. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. [9] Jeffrey Derderian said the door was also installed due to noise, and they had removed it as asked, but sometimes re-installed it if the venue was going to be loud that night, and it was used by the band to escape the building during the fire. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. We couldn't make it. The Station Nightclub Fire is Remembered in the Documentary - Yurview Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. NFPA on LinkedIn: Station Nightclub Fire Survivor Returns to the Scene The Foam.". Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. [93] After a 2013 legal settlement between the two parties, Kendall's band retained the Great White name, while Russell's band was allowed to use the name Jack Russell's Great White. A decade ago, a survivor . [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. For those who lived through it or lost a loved one, healing from the horrific scars, both physical and emotional, takes time. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. One of them is never say die, never give up. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. On February 20, 2003 at about 11:10 p.m., Jody King got a call that something was going on at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. And people just stood there. After the investigation ended and prosecutors had no more questions, after reporters stopped calling and the years passed since that deadly night, the man who was the sound technician and stage manager at The Station nightclub was left with his thoughts. 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. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. 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.. Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. 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. *One SAVE card issued per household that experiences 25% or greater damage to a primary residence. [78] The event raised at least $25,000 in donations for the Station Family Fund, and was broadcast in March by VH1 and VH1 Classic. 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. So, it was very quickly they were in the circle of people we should look at.

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