Founded in 2010, Thought Catalog is owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Company, Inc. For over a decade, we've been at the bleeding edge of media, pioneering an infrastructure for creatives to flourish both artistically and financially. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? Keeler: Chris Paul got dirty. West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. That happened in 2002. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. Inside The Inferno: The Station Nightclub Fire | Thought Catalog To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. Tracy King liked to entertain people with his unique talent. And I was responsible for the day to day. There's an exit near the stage. Greatly. Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. Tracy died never giving up. And why wasn't the foam company charged? I'm going to do this. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. Firefighters continue to work at the smoldering scene of a deadly fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. Friday, Feb. 21, 2003. And I'm like, "OK.". Route 46 in Saddle Brook circa 1965. I couldn't play an instrument. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. "It feels like somebody knew somebody who was in that fire or knew somebody who did, so the pain is very personal.". Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. Prosecutor Randall White urged a sentence of ten years, Biechele frequently paused to choke back tears, 10 Things You Learn From Being Raised By A StrongMother, Heres The Most Notorious Murder From EveryState, Here Is The Scariest Urban Legend From EveryState, 10 Of The Most Horrifying Concert Tragedies InHistory. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. The fire alarms ring, flames burst all over the stage and thick black smoke pollutes the air. 2023 Getty Images. Phil Barr: Yep. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. One of the angles Lynch investigated was the Derderian brothers. Jim Axelrod: Mr. Warner's fax wasn't presented to the grand jury, correct? Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? The Derderians say that in the three years they owned the club, no one ever questioned the safety of the foam. The Station Nightclub Fire, Rhode Island, 2003. A regional command center was built in our state along . The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. You know people didn't react instantly. Michael Derderian: Take this stuff down. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. 9. A staggering 100 lives were lost. Few people other than staff knew of the kitchen and bar doors. It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. In the months and years that followed, Jody also learned about Tracy's heroic last moments. Lexipol. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Writing about previous shows, Barylick reports, At none of the venues where Biechele shot pyro did he secure the required pyrotechnics permits., Rhode Island had enacted a state building code in 2003 that required sprinklers in places of public assembly that could be occupied by more than 300 people. We're running out of time." . She had a cellphone that was working and handed it off to anyone who needed to call home and let their family know they were safe. . But does that mean it's not a crime? Patrick Lynch: I don't think there's any question that had that door not been up a significant number of people would have survived. I know how this tragedy has devastated me but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. It couldn't continue another 10, 15 years, it couldn't. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. In this Feb. 20, 2003 aerial file photo, authorities continue their work at The Station nightclub where more than 100 people died in a late night fire, in West Warwick, R.I. A fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, and killed more than 230 people appears to be the deadliest in more a decade. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. People were crushing each other in front of him trying to get out of the emergency exits. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. February 20, 2003. In the aftermath, Vanner battled an addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, which he used to cope but which cost him jobs and his driver's license. "This is a massive part of my life. The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island started when pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White set fire to flammable foam installed as soundproofing. Nothing lifts his despair. PHOTOS: On this day - February 20, 2003 -- The Station nightclub fire Also, the last picture taken by a person just before their death is acceptable. GREAT WHITE Station Fire Update: Autopsy Photos Released To Defendants The actual Station Nightclub Fire footage. I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. There were four exits but most people scrambled for the front door through which they had entered. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. . . He don't know. It was completely preventable. So, it was very quickly they were in the circle of people we should look at. The photo was taken just moments prior to his death. Time Warp vs Groove Thing, in a 1997 episode of "The Drew Carey Show". 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.". [tearing up] "What a great brother you have. Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. (Photo/Wikimedia Commons) Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some. 2 Aug 1970 - 20 Feb 2003. fire began late Thursday and destroyed the structure, and which officials say has taken the life of at least 85 people may be related to band's pyrotechnics. It is a still from a video taken minutes before the fire broke out at the Station Nightclub in West Warrick, Rhode Island. Unfortunately, Jeff lost his life in the fire. Even if he died trying. The burned remnants of "The Station" nightclub litters the scene February 23, 2003 in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Linda Saran and Phil Barr, badly injured, were transported to a local hospital. The fire, which killed at least 54 people, resulted from a pyrotechnics display during the first song of Great White's set. 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? Scan this QR code to download the app now. 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. In the aftermath, West Warwick, Rhode Island TV news reporter Jeff Derderian wanted to run a story on nightclub safety. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury to determine if anyone should face criminal charges. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. Even if he couldn't. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. This entry was posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2020 at 7:40 am and is filed under Uncategorized. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. Officials say that a fire at the nightclub late Thursday resulted in the death of at least 60 people. "It would have been my legacy," Vanner said. . 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. Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. Her father has seven brothers, Pimentel said, and she was especially close to Carlos. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. 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. 14 Rare Photos Of 1960s New Jersey - OnlyInYourState MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. "And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was 'oh, his hair's fantastic. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome).