station nightclub fire survivors list

And if we could change it, we would. [33] One survivor claimed that a bouncer blocked a side door as attendees attempted to escape the building, stating the door was only to be used by the band. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". And so, when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the door, the door did come down. As we mark 20 years since that night, here are those who. The fire left her with burns over 40 percent of her body, it incinerated her hair. [24] The first West Warwick fire engine arrived at the scene at 11:13 p.m., followed by three other trucks shortly thereafter. SAN JOSE (BCN) - Three people were injured in a shooting that occurred Saturday morning at San Jose's Aura nightclub. Jody King: He trusted the club. Jeff Derderian: I don't know. 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. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. 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 was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. Vanner spoke about how his life derailed after 11:07 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2003. Scott James: When people arrive, they walk through this entrance and this kinda longish hallway. [20], Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. That was in like the 80s. There's an exit near the stage. Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. 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? But she refuses to live in the past. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Jeff Derderian: I remember we were trying to get people away from the building. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death. Fifteen years since that terrible night. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. The brothers say they are still haunted by the events of that horrific night. Michael Derderian: Jeffrey was responsible for all the marketing activities. [104] It was last introduced in the House in 2015 by then-U.S. Reps. James Langevin of Rhode Island and Tom Reed of New York.[104]. But that night, leading the cameraman around was bouncer Tracy King, a dedicated husband and father of three young boys. I went over, put my hands against the glass, and I started kicking at that window and it wouldn't break. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. Barr was now outside, but he felt like his lungs were on fire. Tweet. I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. In February 2008, Providence television station. An off-duty police officer standing outside had heard her kicking at the window. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. And I was responsible for the day to day. 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. First of all, I don't know you would, how would you how would you accomplish the detail and the amount of new information in a news conference or, you know, a commercial or something that we would try and do on our own. That happened in 2001. [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. 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 . [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. 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. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. 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. Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. She paused, her eyes tearing. 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. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. Jeff Derderian: That door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. It was the fourth deadliest fire in a nightclub in US history. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He don't know. We're running out of time." And, according to the brothers, it was one of the first exits used when the fire started. [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. [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. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, did not. 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. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, were resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. Its irrelevant.. [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. The Feb. 20, 2003. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. 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.". And I knew the window was to my left. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. [39], At the scene of the fire, Butler gave this account of the tragedy:[41]. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. 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. Flames were seen breaking through a part of the roof in less than five minutes. [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. It was liquid fire. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. It was completely preventable. 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. 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. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. Michael Derderian: I don't know about that. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. 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. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. But for anyone who was in The Station nightclub on Feb. 20, 2003, she said, a night out triggers an awareness. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, the owners of the Station, pleaded no contest and avoided a trial: Michael received the same sentence as Biechele and was released from prison in 2009, while Jeffrey received a sentence of 500 hours of community service. 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. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. He was out there, and he just loved being in the center. This is solid gasoline. 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, [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. But with last springs dedication of the memorial on the old nightclub site, Del Sesto said she thinks she has found a way not to forget, but to live with the memories. He was the. ", "Fire in a nightclub: the band; group persevered by making circuit of smaller clubs", "How tragedy inspired one member of Great White", "Rhode Island Remembers Victims Of Deadly GREAT WHITE Concert Fire", "Club, band dispute permission to use fireworks - Feb. 22, 2003", "Memories sear survivor of fire that killed 100 in 2003", "Parents mourn loss of only child in nightclub fire, but cherish time they had after first near-death experience", "Radio station to remain in fire lawsuits", "Clear Channel agrees to pay $22 million to nightclub fire victims", "Portraits of people who died in the R.I. nightclub fire", "Timeline: What happened the night of the Station nightclub fire? [9] Two gerbs were at 45-degree angles, with the middle two pointing straight up. [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]. There had to be that period for me. He had failed to get a license for the pyrotechnics from the State of Rhode Island and permits from the local fire department. Linda Saran: I could have missed it all. I couldn't play an instrument. Barr was located between the stage and the front door. [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. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. 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. 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. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. However, on September 21, 2006, Judge Darigan announced that the brothers had changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see the band Great White. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. But she said she also wants to keep the people she has met from that night, who she sees as friends and not sharers of a horrible experience. And I never expected it to take off as fast as it did. Scott James: You have four exits. Vanner wonders whether he could have saved them. Stay up to date with everything Boston. Nightclub Fire", "Judge Accepts Plea Deal in Rhode Island Fire", "Co-owner of R.I. club where 100 died to be released early", "Band to pay $1M in case over deadly club fire", "Great White offers $1M to settle fatal fire suits", "Derderians reach settlement in nightclub fire", "Governments offer $20 million in RI nightclub fire", "Packaging company settles in R.I. nightclub fire", "McLaughlin & Moran, Anheuser-Busch offer $21M settlement in Station fire case", "Home Depot Settles In R.I. 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. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. Biechele was released from prison in 2008 after some families of the victims expressed their support for his parole. 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. View Image Gallery. there are other people who should be responsible. Vanner has no excuses. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. [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. Jim Axelrod: If the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can continue to do business. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? But with last years dedication of the Station Memorial Park on the site of the nightclub, she said she found that along with the scars, that night had provided her with a purpose in life and people she would otherwise never have known. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. [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. 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. At first, there was no panic. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. The club was not equipped with sprinklers, according to the NIST, and crowding at the buildings main entrance made it difficult for people to escape. [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. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. Then there's that interior, inward swinging door by the stage that Former Attorney General Patrick Lynch says was responsible for loss of life the night of the fire. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. To the families of those who died on that devastating day: Rhode Island will never forget your loved ones and we will always stand by you, McKee said in the statement. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? 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. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. [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. One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. Nothing lifts his despair. 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.". The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. That's what the code says. February 20 is the 19th anniversary of the tragic fire that killed 100 and injured another 230 people at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. [86][87] The memorial dedication ceremony took place on May 21, 2017. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. [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. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. 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. It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. She endured more than 50 operations. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. [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. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." I couldn't get up. It justit was so fast. [83], In June 2003, the Station Fire Memorial Foundation (SFMF) was formed with the purpose of purchasing the property, to build and maintain a memorial. They all came so every single one of those hundred students held up a white rose and they represented one of the 100 [who died]. And I'm like, "OK.". The Derderians learned about a piece of evidence they say is important that was never presented to the grand jury: an eight-page fax sent to the Attorney General's Office anonymously just months after the fire entitled "The Fire. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt. [21] The Station did not have a sprinkler system installed. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain.

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