Nine friends didnt. [86][87] The memorial dedication ceremony took place on May 21, 2017. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. And that song reminds us of that night. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. 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. What kind of club was this? 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. And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. [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. 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.". I couldn't play an instrument. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. 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. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. [38] Derderian had begun working for WPRI on February 17, three days before 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. In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. 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. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". 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. [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. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. 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. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. Access remains open to the public, and memorial services are held each February 20. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. But, you know, they have this following to this day . 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. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . The brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. 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. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. [47] Larocque was not charged by the grand jury, as Lynch had cited a state law that prevented charges against fire marshals without proof of bad faith. Jody King: I see the horror. But he didn't know what. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. Vanner has no excuses. So, I said to Deb, "stay here. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Michael Derderian: That is correct. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. Absolutely not. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. As we hold those impacted by this tragedy close in our hearts, we also remember the remarkable and courageous actions of first responders, public safety officials, medical professionals, and Rhode Islanders who sprang into action to save lives on that day and who worked to comfort their communities in the days and weeks following.. Jeff Derderian: this is flammable you can't have this. 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. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. He don't know. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. We took shortcuts. Most people still just stood there. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. 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. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury to determine if anyone should face criminal charges. And so, when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the door, the door did come down. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. [2] The club was cited for nine minor code violations during the first inspection in November 2002, but was not cited for the flammable polyurethane foam the venue used for soundproofing, which was against code. Nightclub Fire", "3 indicted in R.I. rock concert fire - UPI Archives", "The Derderians are on a 'white-wash tour' about The Station fire, says father who lost son", "The strange and terrible true story of Great White, and the Station nightclub fire", "3 Men Are Indicted in Fire At Rhode Island Nightclub", "Foam company offers Station nightclub fire plaintiffs $6.3M settlement", "DAN BIECHELE SPEAKS Pre-Sentencing Statement GREAT WHITE TOUR MANAGER Station Nightclub Fire RI", "Fury, Tears and 4-Year Term in Deadly Blaze", "Band manager who ignited deadly Rhode Island nightclub fire freed from prison", "Manager Sentenced for Rhode Island Nightclub Fire", "Many families of Station fire victims supporting parole for band manager", "Band manager who ignited R.I. club fire is freed", "After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla", "Derderians will plead; AG says he opposes sentencing deal", "2 Brothers to Plead No Contest in R.I. There's an exit near the stage. They were friends. [39] WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property. For those who lived through it or lost a loved one, healing from the horrific scars, both physical and emotional, takes time. [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. We couldn't make it. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. 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. How did you meet him? When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation of the fire under the authority of the National Construction Safety Team Act, using computer simulations with FDS and a mockup of the stage area and dance floor, concluded that a fire sprinkler system would have contained the fire long enough to give everyone time to exit safely. The charge is pending. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. But does that mean it's not a crime? 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]. [32] The fine was not resolved until 2013, ten years after the fire, when it was upheld by a judge. The state of Rhode Island is small," says author Scott James. It was really everything to me at that time. [26] The Cowesett Inn restaurant across the street from the Station acted as an ad-hoc burn triage and command center for first responders. [48] Some victims' families criticized the 48 Hours segment and the Derderians' involvement. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. They didn't even let him talk about it. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, who was behind her, pushing her toward the door, perished. 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. local Four nonstop. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. But I dont want it to define the rest of my life. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. Fifteen years since that terrible night. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. And he's like he don't know. I am proud. He still remembers that deadly night. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history occurred in The Station nightclub. 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. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. One near the bar. [21] The Station did not have a sprinkler system installed. The Foam.". 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. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. It just so happens that we're . And people just stood there.