This week marks 20 years since the horrific Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, which killed 100 people and left 230 injured. The fire started at the West Warwick club when a manager for the band Great White set off pyrotechnics for the band's show . She also co-founded the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, which aims to raise funds for a memorial park at the fire site. Michael Derderian received 15 years in prison, with four to serve and 11 years suspended, plus three years probation. There were guys with tears streaming down their faces, Lardie said. The DHS report stated the equivalent of a four-alarm structural assignment responded to the scene, for West Warwick station coverage and manpower relief. The next time you're at a bar or nightclub (or any venue, really): Walk the layout of the building when you first arrive Look for two ways out of each room and identify marked fire exits Look for fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems If you notice Overcrowding Blocked or unmarked exits Fire hazards Anything that makes you feel unsafe LEAVE Command called for an accountability roll call. In 13 seconds, the video shows flames extending eight to 10 feet out the entryway as a line is stretched through fleeing occupants, over injured persons on the ground and around parked cars and the tour bus. Please click the link in the email Many will not discuss the incident; some still receive medical care. As he stands just outside the showroom, a photographer with the casino offers to take the albums backstage, though he cant guarantee theyll be signed. TIL Raul "Mike" Vargas survived over 90min inside the Station Nightclub fire. Three weeks later, the band had toured through the Midwest while Eagan was back in Nevada, where the former mortgage company account executive is now studying to become a burn nurse. We have an absolute bond, he says. And just seconds after the band launched into their first song, Desert Moon, pyrotechnics lit by their tour manager caused a fire to ignite toward the back of the stage. Eagan moved to Nevada six weeks ago. The music was primarily house and techno with international Dj's spinning nearly every evening. "The message is, 'Don't forget.' A band that was performing that night used pyrotechnics that ignited polyurethane foam insulation lining the walls and ceiling of the stage platform. ' Lardie says. The pyrotechnics ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. As months and years passed, lawsuits and criminal charges were filed against the Stations owners and Great Whites tour manager. The flames were at first thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to billow did people realize the nightclub was on fire. Both NIST and DHS reports noted out-of-town chiefs and EMS supervisory personnel assisted the incident commander at the command post, acting as a resource group, serving as inter-agency liaisons and supporting functions such as communications, triage, supplies, staging, rehabilitation and public information. The fire, which broke out on Feb. 20, 2003, was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the band Great White. A band that was performing that night used pyrotechnics that ignited polyurethane foam insulation lining the walls and ceiling of the stage platform. It recommended specific improvements to building standards, codes and practices to improve the structural fire safety of buildings and evacuation procedures. NEVER FORGET THE VICTIMS OR THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT TRAGIC NIGHT. NIST Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire. (Manager Obi Steinman was brought in after the fire to help rebuild the bands reputation.) You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content. A few feet away sits Eagan, who still attends Great White shows though shell never be far from the exits again. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. WILLIAM F. ADAMS is a past chief of the East Rochester, NY, Fire Department and a former fire apparatus sales representative. The initial attack was in direct support of rescue efforts. >> THE MESSAGE IS DONT FORGET, NEVER FORGET THESE PEOPLE, NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED. The blaze reached flashover within one minute, causing all combustible materials to burn. A survivor claimed that she and her fiancee had tried to escape through one exit, but were stopped by a bouncer stating that that door was "for the band only.". The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a 2-volume report on the fire, which is available on their website. On Feb. 20, 2003, 100 people died when malfunctioning pyrotechnics set The Station nightclub on fire in Warwick, R.I. Refining the codes is a continuing process that combines the technical advances of today with present-day societal attitudes. Meanwhile, two of the four exits had been chained shut, and a bouncer initially forbade patrons from using the stage door, creating a bottleneck at the front door. Keep me up to date! One hundred people lost their lives, and about half were injured, either from burns, smoke inhalation, or trampling.Although there were four possible exits, most attendees headed for the front door through which they had entered. A disaster., Minutes before opening act Slaughter begins its set, Great White drummer Audie Desbrow, who joined the band in 1986, is signing Delgados records backstage. Fire department rescues assisted in transporting bodies. At approximately 2318, command requested another task force (equal to a third alarm). Current and former officials from several fire departments, including West Warwick's, declined to comment for this article. In the panic to get out, many fell and were trampled. to establish the likely technical cause or causes of the building failure; to evaluate the technical aspects of evacuation and emergency response procedures; to recommend, as necessary, specific improvements to building standards, codes, and practices based on the findings; and. INTERCITY radio traffic confirmed Metro Control requesting fill-in companies from Coventry and East Greenwich; departments designated by the mutual aid box system to move up on the third and fourth alarms. https://www.nist.gov/disaster-failure-studies/station-nightclub-fire-ncst-investigation, The Station Nightclub Fire, Rhode Island, 2003. Nightclub owners Jeffrey and Micahel Derderian both faced 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the case. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Many responded to the scene. Don't subscribe In deference to them, names are not published. Jeffrey Derderian received a 10-year suspended sentence, three years probation, and 500 hours of community service. Nine seconds later, flames were out all front windows. The band began a benefit tour for victims and survivors that summer, and they would continue to perform benefits for the next two years. Several fire department chaplains assisted. The methods in our existing codes are, based on sound protection principles that have, Refining the codes is a continuing process that, combines the technical advances of today with, present-day societal attitudes. As some also blamed Great White, Kendall debated his future. Todays fire safety codes and standards reflect painful lessons learned, one being that fire safety inspections and code enforcement must be prioritized. The Station Nightclub Fire: Revisiting the Lessons - Firefighter Training On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history. Inside, an Engine 2 member with a Warwick EMS officer coordinated triaging victims separating and tagging them "green" and "yellow" for treatment. You can also subscribe without commenting. Longley, 31, was one of the 100 people to die. On February 20, 2003, a fire in a small club in, Rhode Island once again reminded us that his, tory can and will repeat itself. My wife and I were not crazy maniacs or anything, but were believers. Also, off-duty members monitoring personal scanners began returning. Jeffrey and Micahel Derderian changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial. People stampeded into the area through entrances from the bar and club. More than 460 fans had crowded into the wooden, single-story, 4,480 -square-foot nightclub known as The Station in West Warwick, R.I., to enjoy a Thursday night show on Feb. 20, 2003. An official website of the United States government. During a sound check before the show, the band are energetic and enthused as they run through songs from their latest album, Elation, sounding much like the young Sunset Strip rockers they were when they began more than 30 years ago. The fact that people got stuck in the door trying to escape makes it so much worse. It claimed 100 lives and left some 230 other people injured. The fire conditions are predicted using SMARTFIRE V4.1. The Station nightclub fire, where 100 people died and hundreds more were hurt, will never be forgotten by those who were there or lost loved ones that February night. The Providence Journal identified by name 247 people who self-evacuated 90 via the side-A front doors, 46 via the side-B bar door, 12 via the side-B kitchen door and 20 through the side-D stage door. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in American history. 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. Maggie Cardinale of Narragansett, R.I., pauses by a grouping of wooden crosses hanging on a fence enclosing the burnt wreckage of The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., representing those killed from the fire. The scene firefighters faced is addressed. 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. The configuration of the clubs egress doors contributed to the number of fatalities: The design of the front entrance corridor contributed to the loss of life, forcing concert-goers to push through an intermediate door that opened into a small foyer before finally reaching the main doors that led outside. Lardie was at his home in Las Vegas when the fire broke out. A diagram released by the RISAG in 2004 with approximate locations of bodies showed 68 at or near side A. Thirty-one were inside the hallway and vestibule, nine at the dance-floor entrance to the vestibule, three in the main bar and 25 in the sunroom adjacent to the common vestibule and hallway wall and windows. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . An MCI trailer did respond from the state airport. Twenty-eight were dispersed in the B/C areas, which lacked exterior doors and windows. The Providence Journal published a list of participating agencies from Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, with a partial list of responding units. station nightclub fire station fire 1,046 Station Nightclub Premium High Res Photos Browse 1,046 station nightclub stock photos and images available, or search for station nightclub fire or station fire to find more great stock photos and pictures. It is not recorded which companies filled this assignment. The fire spread quickly along the ceiling area over the dance floor. Within 90 minutes, about 200 injured were triaged and transported, mostly by fire department rescues and commercial ambulances; the balance in commercial and fire department buses and private vehicles. The cramped foyer was reportedly designed to prevent people from entering the club without a ticket, but it proved disastrous when the large, panicked crowd clogged it in a desperate attempt to escape the blaze. SHE LEADS THE FOUNDATION THAT HELPED ESTABLISH THE MEMORIAL. People stampeded into the area through entrances from the bar and club. During its show at the Chumash, the band open with Desert Moon, the tune that kicked off pandemonium in February, 2003. (Note: Times are listed two ways to match video recordings and emergency dispatch records.). 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's official licensed capacity was 404. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report had fire through the roof within five minutes of ignition. In the crush, many could not get out. Seconds later, the fire department arrived and began to flow water in the area of the front door. The objectives of the investigation were: The final report, "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 1 and Volume 2 ," includes details of the investigation as well as NIST's recommendations. Judge: Three ME Teens 'Not Competent' to Stand Trial in Fatal Fire, International Association of Arson Investigators, The International Association of Arson Investigators Expands Online and App Program, MI Man Who Offered to Help Charged with Impersonating Firefighter, Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News (TNS), FDNY Commissioner Sounds Alarm on Lithium-ion Batteries, Part one was published in the November 2010 issue, International Association of Arson Investigators - IAAI. The simulation predicts evacuation through. After locating, tagging, photographing and removing a body, teams attended debriefing sessions. A fast-moving fire engulfed the club in five and a half minutes, as 230 people were injured and another 132 escaped uninjured. I didnt even know these people. Refining the codes and standards is only part of the solution. FA confirmed five out-of-town rescues had already been requested. In an ironic twist of fate, a news team was onsite, filming a story on nightclub safety. Smoke and flames poured from the structure with occupants fleeing from doors and windows; most burned some were on fire. It is in equal parts fascinating, horrifying, heart-wrenching and inspiring. WFD Battalion 1, parking at the CIR, was confronted by injured seeking help. After dark it becomes a nightclub, where visitors can dance to live music or a DJ, check out the art, eat, drink, and hang out with friends. Cranston Engine 4 and Ladder 2 responded as fill-in companies. 4. Great White performs at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. Club Opera, Montreal's largest nightclub, with an elegant, sleek and very Euro-chic decor was certainly the most impressive venue the city nightlife had ever proposed. Pastor Dave LaChance, right, consoles Jack Russell, lead singer of Great White near the scene of a deadly fire at The Station nightclub. On December 30, 2004, a fire, caused by pyrotechnics (fired by a patron of the, club) resulted in 194 deaths and over 700. injuries in an overcrowded club in Buenos Aires. Jeff Dederian, right, co-owner of The Station nightclub, cries with his head in his hands as he reads a statement to the media and his wife Linda Derderian, left, looks on. SERA: A COMMON THEME WE ARE HEARING TODAY FROM LOVED ONES LIKE ANDREA SILVA WHO HOPES LESSONS LEARNED THAT NIGHT 20 YEARS AGO WILL SAVE LIVES. The congregating injured created another triage area by default. Via the INTERCITY, West Warwick requested three rescues from Cranston FA, which dispatched Rescues 2, 3 and 4 at 2321. Its that moment of love and acceptance and forgiveness it just enveloped all of us. Even though the consequences of The Station fire were largely attributed to multiple code violations that were present on the night of the fire, particularly improper interior finish materials and the use of indoor pyrotechnics without proper precautions, the International Codes responded by changing the threshold for mandatory sprinklers in Group A-2 occupancies from 300 occupants to 100 occupants. Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of those who lost their lives in the fire. He directed FA to have Engine 3 lay-in, have Engine 1 come straight in, start calling back off-duty members and specifically requested 12 additional rescues. Derderian was arraigned on 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick on Feb. 20, 2003, that killed 100 people. That list, the reports, and telephone and radio recordings indicate at least 22 engines, eight ladders, three special hazards, two squads and 57 rescues were involved. It was basically just me and him and his solo band, Kendall says backstage at the Chumash. It supplied a feeder liner to Engine 4 and operated its deck gun on the front entrance. The design of the front entrance corridor contributed to the loss of life, forcing concert-goers to push through an intermediate door that opened into a small foyer before finally reaching the main doors that led outside. It was just an emotional rollercoaster.. The DHS report Annex A Fire Department Operations acknowledged maintaining accountability on scene and determining what local resources were still available was challenging. Chief 1 required all firefighters debriefed by a CISM team member prior to being released from duty. I just saw the door open.. An in-depth look at the initial fire and EMS response and recovery operations for the Station Night Club fire in West Warwick, RI. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. According to the 2005 NIST final report, the fast-spreading fire caught the wooden frames and aggravated the consumption, with an estimated 95 percent of the fuel load consisting of the wooden structure and paneling. Another stated that only four hospitalized victims expired, which was attributable to the airway-management skills of the EMTs and emergency physicians. An exit near the stage was quickly eliminated as the fire spread around the door, preventing escape. Among the mourners who gathered Monday at Station Fire Memorial Park, which honors all of those lost in the disaster, was Stephen Sweet, a firefighter in Quincy, Massachusetts. Allegion plc, 2021 | Block D, Iveagh Court, Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin, Ireland REGISTERED IN IRELAND WITH LIMITED LIABILITY REGISTERED NUMBER 527370 Allegion is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer But inside, a flashover spread rapidly along flammable foam used as insulation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up to receive the latest daily to recommend any research and other appropriate actions needed to improve the structural safety of buildings, and improve evacuation and emergency response procedures, based upon the findings of the investigation. Another 230 were injured. A band that was performing that night used pyrotechnics that ignited polyurethane foam insulation lining the walls and ceiling of the stage platform. . Off-duty dispatchers and the FA supervisor augmented the dispatcher on duty. Fire engulfed the club in five and a former fire apparatus sales representative and operated its deck gun on front! 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