But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. My parents taught us a lot, a lot of things. Am I going to sit here and cry about this? The trunk bears the names of the fire victims. Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. That night is not a coherent memory for her, she said, but a sequence of moments when she was hyper-focused on finding her friends or helping those around her. But it's fun. 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. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. 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. [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. We took shortcuts. MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. 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. Do you understand that anger? You bury nine people in a period of less than two weeks, she said, and yeah, I think it affects you. Flames were seen breaking through a part of the roof in less than five minutes. We're running out of time." "[58] The state parole board received approximately twenty letters, the majority of which expressed their sympathy and support for Biechele, some going as far as to describe him as a "scapegoat" with limited responsibility. Parole board chairwoman Lisa Holley told journalists of her surprise at the forgiving attitude of the families, saying, "I think the most overwhelming part of it for me was the depth of forgiveness of many of these families that have sustained such a loss. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. Her bill was $646 that month, she said. [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. So that was huge.. 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. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. [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. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. Jody King: I see the horror. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. Scott James: It smelled like spilled beer and stale cigarettes and everything was just a little bit frayed at the edge. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. [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. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? [24] Hundreds of firefighters responded to the fire, including every available West Warwick firefighter. It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. [4] In 1985, it was converted to a pub, which closed sometime in the late 1980s, and a nightclub was opened in its place in 1991. The fire quickly spread over the dance floor, along the ceiling. During a concert by the rock band Great White, a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. Purchase and sale had been signed. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. some bleeding I could notice in my throat. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, "I have to leave." The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. Stephen Sweet, a Quincy firefighter who lost his cousin Shawn Sweet in the fire, came to play the bagpipes at a memorial ceremony Monday, WCVB reported. 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. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. He was granted parole and then released after 22 months. View All 100 Memorials for the The Station Nightclub Fire Site. The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos 98 PHOTOS More Stories Has fire prevention in RI improved since The Station fire? They all later accepted plea deals. The shooting was first reported at 12:04 a.m. in the 300 block of S. 1st . On May 10, 2006, State Prosecutor Randall White asked that Biechele be sentenced to ten years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain, citing the massive loss of life in the fire and the need to send a message. On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire for a number of months. and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. And that song reminds us of that night. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. [9], Thousands of mourners attended an interfaith memorial service at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick on February 24, 2003, to remember those lost in the fire. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. Barr was now outside, but he felt like his lungs were on fire. There was no one coming out the back door anymore. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who is featured in a REELZ documentary about the Warwick, Rhode Island Station nightclub fire, which killed some 100 attendees of a Great White concert in 2003, Out of it. He don't know. Jeff Derderian: Why is it OK that the fire marshal is allowed to miss something or make a mistake and what he did was just an oops, but what we did was criminal? The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. At first, there was no panic. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. 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.. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. [tearing up] "What a great brother you have. In fact, they did the opposite.". Phil Barr: Yep. You should be proud." [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke. Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. / CBS News. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. Jim Axelrod is the chief investigative correspondent and senior national correspondent for CBS News, reporting for "CBS This Morning," "CBS Evening News," "CBS Sunday Morning" and other CBS News broadcasts. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. That's when I turned back. 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 brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. We screwed up." In December 2003, nine months after the fire, Jeff and Michael Derderian were in court, each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter 100 for criminal negligence, and 100 for misdemeanor manslaughter. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. 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. [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. And if we could change it, we would. Vanner wonders whether he could have saved them. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? [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. The fire left her with burns over 40 percent of her body, it incinerated her hair. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. 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]. 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. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. [2], Prior to the fire, the Station often hosted concerts by 1980s hard rock groups and tribute bands. Phil Barr: I loved it. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. Cold air washing over me. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. Jody King: I spent the next five or six hours going back and forth in the parking lot talking to firemen, asking firemen, "can you please pull the sheets back for me? His fiance, Tina Ayer, died at 33 in the fire, CBS Boston reported. Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. Cassidy was questioned by Customs and Border Protection in 2016, three sources familiar with the probe . The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. 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. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. And outside I went. He trusted in his friends. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? As of September 2008, at least $115 million in settlement agreements had been paid, or offered, to the victims or their families by various defendants. I couldn't play an instrument. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. He turned back to see the crowd bottle-necked at the stage. You take one square inch of the foam, you hold it up with a roach clip and light it on fire with a wooden match. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. And I'm like, "OK.". It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . "[58], Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. [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. 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. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, "Yeah, that's great!" Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. They were told to take it down. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. They didn't even let him talk about it. View Image Gallery. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. The TIAs required automatic fire sprinklers in all existing nightclubs and similar locations that accommodate more than 100 occupants, and all new locations in the same categories. [37] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. : In 2021, 48 Hours described the total civil payments to the victims and families as $176 million. The Station Nightclub Fire - University of Cincinnati pdf To summarize the reports, specifically about how people exited, the vast majority of people attempted to exit the way they came in. [36] Butler was there for a planned piece on nightclub safety being reported by Jeffrey A. Derderian, a WPRI news reporter who was also a part-owner of The Station. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. So, before I knew it, this finger was contractured down in this position and the rest of them were all bent backwards because the skin had tightened up.". Absolutely not. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. 0:57. 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. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. Its irrelevant.. 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. Jeff Derderian: There's so many things that factor into the decision to do that. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian reached a settlement of $813,000 with survivors and victims' families in September 2008. [81] In August 2016, the site was reported to have been being used as a PokeStop in Pokmon Go, to uproar from victims' families. And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire. 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. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. The Derderians say that in the three years they owned the club, no one ever questioned the safety of the foam and say the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. [51], Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in the venue as a cause for the causalities during the fire. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. It just so happens that we're evacuated due to the CZU complex fire but hey that's how. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. That was his gift. I couldn't hear noise. Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. [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. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. At least 64 others were also sued, including the state of Rhode Island citedforthe fire inspector's failure to report the flammable foam during multiple inspections. there are other people who should be responsible. 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. 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. Mon, February 20th 2023, 8:29 PM PST. And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. [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. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. "We wanted the full story to come out, not just some of it, and for people who want to come to their own conclusion on what happened that night," says Jeff Derderian. Daniel Biechele, the tour manager for Great White who had ignited the pyrotechnics, plead guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2006 and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison with four to serve. He owned his own construction company, and he was often in the backyard with his sons, improving the landscape or building two ponds that he filled with koi fish. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" This is a massive part of my life. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Since he co-owned The Station nightclub with his brother Michael Derderian, Jeff suggested it as a venue for generic nightclub footage.