It looked like it was raining black fire. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. Station fire: He lost his brother but didnt blame the Derderians: The Derderian brothers became pariahs after the fire, ostracized and blamed for the tragedy. In firefighters' hearts, the disaster isn't over: How long can a memory feel like a live wire arcing against your heart? undisputable. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. My parents taught us a lot, a lot of things. January 30, 2023 Chris McGoey. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. 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. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. 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. 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. He got a tire iron from his car, smashed the glass, and started pulling people out. PennDOT worker remains seriously injured after hit-and-run, Search on for owner of dogs that attacked man while walking pets. Since I had been there earlier in the night, I knew that there was at least an exit in the back barroom. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. Absolutely not. Now he has a message for others struggling to come to terms with their disfiguring scars and fears of rejection: Take me as I am or keep walking., Son of Great White guitarist cheers sick children to honor his dad: His father would be proud; Beat goes on through son of Great White guitarist killed in fire. Sunday marks the 19th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that killed 100 people. But he didn't know what. But she refuses to live in the past. Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 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. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. On February 20, 2003 at about 11:10 p.m., Jody King got a call that something was going on at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Back in 1983, Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer helped start the beloved Glen Mills hangout, Pulsations Nightclub a period that he today appears to recall fondly. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. I'm going to do this. The Station was just an accident waiting to happen, an overcrowded firetrap--stuffing people in there, no sprinklers, no exits with rapid egress, flammable foam on the walls, allowing pyrotechnics inside the venue (violating state law). Four parties found themselves at the center of the finger-pointing in the wake of the fire: Biechele and the Derderians, the only people ever charged in connection with the fire, each pleaded to 100 counts of manslaughter Biechele pleading guilty; the Derderians, no contest. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. It was completely preventable. Those who were trapped inside The Station when the flames started knew they needed to get out fast. About 180 patrons remained inside the nightclub at that time. The original version of the following expose into the rock'n'roll lifestyle as seen in action during a post-concert meet'n'greet by The Fixx appeared in my college newspaper, Temple News, in the autumn of 1987, just after the events in question occurred.Then I added a bit of grown-up perspective to make it the 27th entry on my blog on Sept . These days, though, Taffer has moved on to Bar Rescue, which will air 100th episode on March 6. And I knew the window was to my left. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Northeastern law professor and GBH legal analyst Daniel . Prime Development Corner. 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. In the days after the fire, victims' families and survivors faced a harsh new reality. 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? Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. The West Warwick, Rhode Island club The Station was purchased by brothers Michael A. and Jeffrey A. Derderian in 2000 and three years later became a scene of tragedy that would haunt Rhode Island forever. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see the band Great White. The girl who won received the contract with the doctor and had to give us before-and-after brassieres. West Warwick police officer Mark Knott radioed headquarters: Stampede.. 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.". 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? Both the brothers had other jobs. Twenty years after the nation's 4th worst nightclub fire, Rhode Island is still dealing with the collective trauma, legislative fallout and lasting impacts of The Station nightclub fire. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. Michael Derderian: We do understand that anger and that's that's why we're here with you. In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. We all make mistakes. The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. He trusted in his friends. Barr was located between the stage and the front door. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. It was the closest to a religious experience that I've seen without it being religious. "Bar Rescue" host Jon Taffer watches a video feed of unimaginable horrors in a bar. You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. WEST WARWICK, R.I. . into the main barroom. This is solid gasoline. It fuels you. Do you understand that anger? Michael Derderian: Jeffrey was responsible for all the marketing activities. Linda Saran and her friend Deb were in the atrium, huddled together under a table. Lego 41027 - Der TOP-Favorit unserer Produkttester. Jeff Derderian: You know a day doesn't go by that we don't think about it in some way, shape or form. 25 seconds: The flames start spreading to the ceiling. That's what the code says. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 21:26. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub . The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. Should PTSD qualify for injured-on-duty status? Despite that incident, the club managed a 12 year run. It was one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the nation's history, and an event that has had lasting consequences for hundreds of families. While 94 of them have remained afloat, 84 have shut their doors. Their story starts three years before the fire. Foam the Derderians had installed along the club's walls and ceilings to conceal noise was highly flammable and "was equal to gallons of gasoline. Pulse nightclub owner and onePULSE foundation founder Barbara Poma says, on the sixth anniversary of the shooting that killed 49 people, this year feels different than the last. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. 150. stove pipe. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. The former salesman for the company where the Derderians bought the deadly insulating foam says the fire destroyed his life: Barry Warner a foam salesman and neighbor of The Station nightclub suggested to the Derderians that they look into spray foam as an option to muffle the noise of the club. 60 Minutes did a huge story on him. Since The Station fire, many states have adopted stricter fire prevention codes. And settled for $1 million. Hundreds witness groundbreaking for Station fire memorial: Cradling fresh flowers in the frigid cold, several hundred people gathered at the site of The Station nightclub fire on the 10th-anniversary service that included a groundbreaking for a permanent memorial and remembrances for the 100 lives lost. He doesn't know. That night, he allowed a cameraman to shoot footage inside the club for an upcoming story about safety in public venues. Jody King: He trusted the club. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. A fire occurred on the night of Feb. 20, 2003, in The Station nightclub at 211 Cowesett Avenue, West Warwick, Rhode Island. It was THE spot in the Delaware Valley in the '80s, and tonight "The Goldbergs" recreate the legendary nightclub for Barry's bachelor party. And he's like he don't know. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Pulsations was a 15,000-square-foot club. 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. How did you meet him? Orlando Police released hundreds of new photos and evidence in the Pulse nightclub massacre, as the widow of the gunman faces criminal charges in federal court in California.CLICK HERE TO SEE THE . The attack killed 11 and injured 9. I don't even like to talk about it. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. Trials were averted through plea bargains and monetary settlements, though neither brother paid a penny of his own money toward the $176 million that went to the victims and their families. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". Station fire, 15 years later: Survivors tell their stories: While many say they will never get over it, they have found a way to get along with it. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. there are other people who should be responsible. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. And yet, at the point in time, I don't think I knew his name. The city of Orlando released on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 400 crime scene photos taken in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016. 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: When you come to, you're in a hospital room. Some bars close for failing to control violent crime on the premises. It had a spaceship that flew into the room and deposited a robot on the dance floor. Published Feb 25, 2016. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. I am proud. He was the most badly burned survivor of the 2003 Station nightclub fire. One near the bar. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. It did not. That is the furthest exit away from the stage But it's a relatively straight line. Survivors and friends of survivors active in the effort to turn the nightclub site in West Warwick into a memorial park recount the emotional journeys that brought them from 2003 to 2018. Omar Mateen opened fire and killed 49 people there on June 12, 2016. Jeff Derderian: There's so many things that factor into the decision to do that. It was like what? He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. Three days after the station fire, Jody King finally got the news that his brother Tracy's body had been found. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. Back in the day, Portuguese nightclubs had an age limit of sixteen. Fire safety work goes on: Advocates gather at Station memorial to mark tax law easing cost of sprinklers. Linda Saran: The bar got quiet because people were dying literally and all you could hear was the roar of the fire and liquor bottles exploding. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. The fire started at the West Warwick club when a manager for the band Great White set off pyrotechnics for the band's show . A band that was on the platform that night, during its performance, used pyrotechnics that ignited polyurethane foam insulation lining the walls and ceiling of the platform. A fire at a nightclub in Cameroon's capital, Yaound, in the early hours of Sunday left at least 16 people dead and eight others seriously injured, according to news agencies . The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. 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. Its name was Pulsar and it was skinned to be an alien. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. It would fly over the crowd on an I-beam track and come down over the dance floor. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. The night of November 28, 1942, promised all the glamour and glitz that made Boston's most famous night spot, The Cocoanut Grove, legendary. About 40 seconds after the song began, Great White stopped the show and all but one member of the band escaped through the stage door exit. Am I going to sit here and cry about this? And who does drugs, violence, firearm possession . On February 20th, at 11:07 p.m. Like, "get away from the building." Taffer recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss bars and his history with them. Flames can be seen on the back wall. These are videos of prior performances taken inside the club. 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.". Brothers Michael and Jeffery Derderian, who owned The Station nightclub, for using highly flammable polyurethane foam as soundproofing on the walls of the club and for letting 462 people into a building, bringing it over capacity. It wasnt about forgiveness for the death of his brother, because he never blamed them. Disco music, then, evolved into rave music. Jon Taffer saves bars that are on the verge of shutting down on his reality show Bar Rescue.So far, he has rescued 188 bars across the United States. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. And outside I went. Jim Axelrod: The fire spread so quickly because rather than fire-retardant sound foam, on the wall of the club was highly flammable packing foam. Patrick Lynch: Again, any reference in this conversation about what the brothers say, I I take a step back and think I don't really trust it. Photos of Orlando police officer Michael Napolitanos helmet, which stopped a bullet during Mateens shootout with authorities, convey just how close the cop came to the death. The 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. I have to find him. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. Great White was part of the lawsuit. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. The day after the fire, before a medical examiner confirmed that his brother was among the dead, King was on the phone with the Derderian brothers and wept with them. Help. The fire spread quickly along the walls and . The Foam.". The biggest question was, why had the fire spread so quickly? This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. 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. Photos made public Tuesday revealed just a taste of the horror that unfolded during the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Fla., with stomach-turning images of a bullet-ridden bar, a shot-up bathroom where victims huddled in terror before they were gunned down and even a cops bullet-pierced helmet, its padding soaked with blood. Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence finally explained, King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to disgraced Andrew, How Kate Middletons meaningful brooch connects her to Queen Elizabeth II, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend film newborn babys first kiss sandwich, Larsa Pippen felt betrayed by Kardashians before apology: resurfaced clip, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Sunny Hostin Points Finger at China for COVID Crisis: Did Not Cooperate With the International Community, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence caused by 'family health matter'. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? Fifth-deadliest fire in post-war Japanese history, Fourth-deadliest club fire in American history, Firefighter killed in fire; initially thought to have been started by a truck, quickly ruled as arson, Worst fire in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. Making a profit was more important than safety (see the Cocoanut Grove Fire, 1942; The Triangle Shirtwaist . At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. I don't care what I'm going to see.". Super Highly Visible corner location, rare undeveloped find . In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. But does that mean it's not a crime? Jeff Derderian: That door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out. It was liquid fire. Converted warehouse used as an art collective and venue. Taffer also discussed his time at Pulsations last week, telling the New York Times about the "religious experience" that was Pulsar, as well as the club's "Thanks for the Mammaries" promotion: Before you were on TV, you were a bar owner in Philadelphia. The white padding is soaked red. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" We have an exit through the kitchen. Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. Survivors, families, friends, firefighters, doctors and nurses were left to carry the physical and emotional scars of that night. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. Karma/Comeuppance, Liars/Scammers, Nightclub, Portugal, Teenagers, Underaged | Right | December 3, 2022. Club 's walls and ceilings Lynch also points out that the grand jury never heard adopted stricter fire codes. 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