Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Phil Barr: Yep. 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. He was out there, and he just loved being in the center. [82] The stop was removed from the game by developer Niantic later that month. Petrarca remembers one of the most beautiful moments shes had. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. She endured more than 50 operations. 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 through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones Judy Tygard is the executive producer. 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. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. I have to find him. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. After the investigation ended and prosecutors had no more questions, after reporters stopped calling and the years passed since that deadly night, the man who was the sound technician and stage manager at The Station nightclub was left with his thoughts. They all later accepted plea deals. [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]. [tears up, shaking his head]. Linda Saran: I said, "you know what? [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. At first, there was no panic. 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. Linda Saran and Phil Barr, badly injured, were transported to a local hospital. Linda Saran: When I first went out the window, I landed on the stairs. That night, he allowed a cameraman to shoot footage inside the club for an upcoming story about safety in public venues. [60] As of 2013[update], Biechele lived in Florida with his wife and two children. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. [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. Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. And outside I went. But he didn't know what. Patrick Lynch: First of all, I think it's pathetic, disgusting and unsettling to think that they're even speaking now The foam that they put up had a direct impact on the survivability of the bulk of the people that were assembled that night. "[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. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole. And I fell down the stairs, out that door. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. 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. And I never expected it to take off as fast as it did. [7][8] They were best known for their 1989 cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Patrick Lynch: Did he do his job perfectly? Share. [2], Prior to the fire, the Station often hosted concerts by 1980s hard rock groups and tribute bands. The Foam.". PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. The pyrotechnics ignited the walls on either side of the stage and within seconds flames spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling of the club intended to dampen sound. Linda Saran: Yes. So that was huge.. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. [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. I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there. But even more than walking, Phil wanted to return to swimming. 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. Mon, February 20th 2023, 8:29 PM PST. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. [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. Jody King: As I went by the fire station fire trucks are coming out Now the question in my head is why are all these firetrucks leaving? 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. [63] Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected strenuously to the plea bargain, saying that both brothers should have received jail time and that Michael Derderian should have received more time than Biechele. [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. But their plans for the future would suddenly change. 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. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. you could not see your hand in front of your face. 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. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. It justit was so fast. 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. Susan Nicol. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. Most people still just stood there. Its irrelevant.. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. [2][46] On December 9, 2003, the grand jury announced indictments against Station owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and Great White road manager Daniel M. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? 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. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. fine against Station Nightclub owners upheld", "Station nightclub fire survivor tells how she's moved on in new book", "The Station fire took emotional toll on survivors, study finds", "Tentative $30 million deal in R. I. nightclub fire", "TV station that assigned reporter to cover his own nightclub raises ethical issue", "Station Video Spurs Lawsuit - Pollstar News", "Nightclub owner resigns from WPRI television", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire: Appendices (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 2", "Grand Jury Convened to Probe Deadly R.I. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". [21] Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing and lead singer Jack Russell calmly remarked into the microphone, "Wow that's not good. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. 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. It was that fast. Jeff Derderian: We feel a sense of guilt about what happened in the sense that you carry the guilt of knowing that these people aren't here anymore, and these people are hurt for the rest of their life. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. 9. "[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. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. You know people didn't react instantly. We have an exit through the kitchen. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. 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]. Tweet. [48] Some victims' families criticized the 48 Hours segment and the Derderians' involvement. [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. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. 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. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. Since he co-owned The Station nightclub with his brother Michael Derderian, Jeff suggested it as a venue for generic nightclub footage.

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