station nightclub fire survivors list

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. That specific. [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. There's an exit near the stage. We couldn't make it. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. One near the bar. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? The Derderians bought the club as an investment. He trusted in his friends. Great White was part of the lawsuit. and I just kind of went down on my face. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. And settled for $1 million. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. 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? 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. The third started that day. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. [94] Kendall's version of Great White was to perform at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut alongside Stryper and Steven Adler on March 25, 2023, but the venue indefinitely postponed the concert on March 2, citing its proximity to the twentieth anniversary of the fire. 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. View All 100 Memorials for the The Station Nightclub Fire Site. [14] In the aftermath of the fire, Great White and the owners of the Station disputed whether the band were allowed to use the pyrotechnic display during their concert. [tears up, shaking his head]. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. [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. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. But he didn't know what. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. Tweet. Linda Saran: They have said they were sorry. Phil Barr: Yep. 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.". Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. 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 night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see the band Great White. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. [90] The band initially retired "Desert Moon", the song they were performing when the fire began, from their concert set list. The story of three survivors that were trapped when the massive Cypress Street viaduct collapsed. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. It did not. Why had the fire spread so quickly? I don't care what I'm going to see.". 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.. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. Within weeks, the National Fire Protection Association committee met to regulate code for "assembly occupancies." [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. He still remembers that deadly night. Both the brothers had other jobs. On Feb. 20, 2003, 100 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in a fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick. This is the time to leave. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. "[91], Two years to the day after the fire, band members Russell and Kendall, along with Great White's attorney, Ed McPherson, appeared on CNN's Larry King Live with three survivors of the fire and the father of Longley, to discuss how their lives had changed since the incident. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. 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. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? Jody King: When he walked into a room, if there wasn't a smile he'd start balancing stuff to get you uplifted and smiling. Nightclub Fire", "WHJY, Clear Channel offer $22M Station fire settlement", "Service recalls victims of nightclub fire - Feb. 25, 2003", "Families visit scene of deadly nightclub fire - Feb. 24, 2003", "Concert for nightclub fire survivors nets $25K", "Governor McKee Statement on 20th Anniversary of Station Nightclub Fire | Governor's Office, State of Rhode Island", "Station Nightclub Fire Memorial On Track For 2016 Opening", "Timeline: Station Nightclub Fire, 15 year anniversary", "Station nightclub site will no longer be Pokemon Go destination", "Owner of burned RI club donates land for memorial", "Job Lot customers respond to Station Fire Memorial drive", "Memorial park dedicated to victims of Station Nightclub Fire", "Great White: Performing again is the right thing", "Providence nightclub fire charity rebuffs Great White singer", "After the fire: Great White, survivors live with the horror of Rhode Island tragedy", "Rhode Island Club Fire Tragedy Revisited with Members of Rock Band Great White", "Now There's Two Versions Of Great White | Metal Insider", "After The Fire: Feelings mixed and emotions high as Jack Russell's Great White return to New England", "Great White And Jack Russell Reach Agreement Over Use Of Band Name", "Great White singer's fire memorial concert nixed", "Mohegan Sun postpones Great White concert booked close to Station fire anniversary", "Documentary on youngest Station victim to be aired", "Films by RIC Alum Are Among Station Nightclub Fire Tributes", National Fire Protection Association web page "Nightclubs/assembly occupancies", Guide to the Station Nightclub Victims' Collection from the Rhode Island State Archives, Great Zeppelin: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Station_nightclub_fire&oldid=1142630889, Building and structure fires in the United States, February 2003 events in the United States, Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2013, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. "[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. Barr was now outside, but he felt like his lungs were on fire. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. 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. Investigators eventually discovered the fax was sent by Barry Warner, a former employee at American Foam the company that had sent the Derderians the packing foam made of flammable polyurethane. Jody King says his brother enjoyed working for the Derderians. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. But I should have at least tried.. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. Jeffrey Derderian received 500 hours of community service. Even if he couldnt. Scott James: You have four exits. 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. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. Since The Station fire, many states have adopted stricter fire prevention codes. We're running out of time." 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. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, were resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. [102] It is left for each state or local jurisdiction to legally enact and enforce the current code changes. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. The brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . He don't know. 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. undisputable. In February 2008, Providence television station. How did you meet him? 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. [27] A portion of the nightclub roof collapsed at 11:57 p.m., and a second portion in the building's sunroom collapsed at 12:07 a.m..[24] Patients were transported to Kent Hospital, which was filled to maximum capacity due to the fire. 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. And people just stood there. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. 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. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. "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. They were told to take it down. It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. 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. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged.

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