station nightclub fire survivors list

True to his words, Barr fought to breathe on his own. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. [13], In February 2003, Great White was on an eighteen date concert tour, and they had been using a pyrotechnic display during their performances that some club owners had denied them permission to use, citing safety concerns. Patrick Lynch: Looking back on it I would say they ran it as a side business, an attempt to maybe make some extra money with the callous, utter disregard for those that work there and assemble there. It was completely preventable. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. 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. Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. [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. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. [17][16], The concert was emceed by Michael Gonsalves, a disk jockey for Providence rock radio station WHJY who was also known as "Doctor Metal". [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. Michael Derderian: Take this stuff down. [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. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. if I had nothing to hide, then why wouldn't you why wouldn't you talk to them and tell them what you knew or what you didn't know? 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. I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. I never thought it would get so bad., He told bartender Julie Mellini that they had to leave, and she and several patrons followed Vanner out the kitchen door. He was the. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. He was the. [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. Their story starts three years before the fire. Everybody just kind of turned. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. ", "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? The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. It would have been my legacy, Vanner said. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. [21], By this time, the nightclub's fire alarm had activated, and although there were four possible exits, most people headed for the front door through which they had entered. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. "I literally baked alive," says Linda Barr. " You bury nine people in a period of less than two weeks, she said, and yeah, I think it affects you. 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. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am. "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. One near the bar. What kind of club was this? In the stampede, 21 people were killed. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. But she refuses to live in the past. The third started that day. 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. Since 2003, the approach of the anniversary of the Station fire, where she and her twin sister, Cara Ann, got out unhurt while 100 others died and about 200 more were injured, was four weeks of dread. Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. I'll be right back." He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. there are other people who should be responsible. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire. CBS Boston Rhode Island Gov. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. The club was sold. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. [89] The band raised $185,000 for the Station Family Fund during the tour. Tracy King liked to entertain people with his unique talent. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? [39] WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property. I had no control over my muscles. 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. 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. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. We screwed up." His work was instrumental in amassing 176 million dollars in settlements from persons and corporations responsible for the fire. Michael Derderian: I don't know about that. [59], Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. In February 2008, Providence television station. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. Linda Saran: The night of the fire I got in for free. But even more than walking, Phil wanted to return to swimming. [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. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. And people just stood there. So, I said to Deb, "stay here. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. But does that mean it's not a crime? My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. Now, Russo leads the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, which oversees a memorial that stands where the nightclub once went up in flames, The Boston Globe reported. In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1. Nothing lifts his despair. 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. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. He still remembers that deadly night. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:21. As soon as the pyrotechnics stopped, the flame had started on the egg-crate backing behind the stage, and it just went up the ceiling. 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. [38] Derderian had begun working for WPRI on February 17, three days before the fire. 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. [85] By April 2016, $1.65 million of the $2 million fundraising goal had been achieved and construction of the Station Fire Memorial Park had commenced. [2], In the months prior to the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? 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]. And he says you can. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. 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.. [8], Great White had two opening acts for the February 20 concert: Trip, a group from Vancouver, Washington, and Fathead, a local Rhode Island band. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. It was criminal, he says. Flames were seen breaking through a part of the roof in less than five minutes. 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