Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. It didn't have a lock on it. And they're quick to point out the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. 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. We're running out of time." Station nightclub fire scene, viewed from above. MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. Within minutes the building was engulfed in flame and toxic smoke as the highly flammable polyurethane foam glued to the nightclubs walls as soundproofing ignited. Since I had been there earlier in the night, I knew that there was at least an exit in the back barroom. It fuels you. We've received your submission. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. That's what the code says. We couldn't make it. WMFE's Danielle Prieur spoke with nightclub owner and onePULSE foundation founder Barbara Poma about why this year feels different than the last and how she remembers . For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. 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. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. She asks does anyone remember Pulsations Nightclub? Jeff Derderian: That door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. That is the furthest exit away from the stage But it's a relatively straight line. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. We ran a contest for 10 weeks, and girls competed for a breast augmentation. WEST WARWICK, R.I. . Purchase and sale had been signed. "Literally laid there and said, 'God please just take care of my family,' because I knew I was going to die,'" survivor Linda Saran recalls. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? 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? The Derderians say that in the three years they owned the club, no one ever questioned the safety of the foam. Final "undeveloped piece of the former Pulsations" property is 4.84 Gross acreage/4.17 net acreage. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. FALL RIVER West Warwick, Rhode Island is marking the 20th anniversary of the devastating Station nightclub fire, though the fire's impact stretched far beyond Rhode Island, including . It would fly over the crowd on an I-beam track and come down over the dance floor. Linda Saran: When I first went out the window, I landed on the stairs. Monday marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that killed 100 people. The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. Building was of mixed-use. We screwed up." Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. You can even expect an appearance from the club's famous robot. The father of Jessica and Sarah as well as Melindas husband, Matt, died in The Station fire. (Photo by Douglas McFadd/Getty Images) James said Jeffrey Derderian, who is a former TV news reporter . The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. Berlin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. / CBS News. It did not. 1947. Jeff Derderian: There's so many things that factor into the decision to do that. Lee . 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. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. Browse 411 station nightclub fire stock photos and images available, or search for station fire or station night club to find more great stock photos and pictures. People come here to remember, said King, who wears a tattoo of his brother on his chest. They threatened his family. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in American . To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. Jody King: They blamed three. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. Exterior shots of the nightclub also show several gaping holes where authorities used explosives to blast open a wall near the bathroom to save survivors who had been trapped for hours. Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA, United States . The blaze began when members of a band performing at the . She would not hurt a fly., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, The deadliest mass shootings in US history, Suspected Pulse nightclub memorial vandal arrested, Vandal in wheelchair sets fire to Pulse nightclub memorial, What timing! We had a robot custom-built for us by International Robotronics in New York. Flames soon appeared on the walls on either side of the stage and spread quickly along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling, intended to dampen sound. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? Am I going to sit here and cry about this? Station fire memorial nearing completion: Organizers say they have raised more than $1.9 million of the $2 million needed to build it and maintain it in perpetuity. The spaceship was 27 feet in diameter, pulled about 600 amps and had 70 lighting systems on it. into the main barroom. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. Michael Derderian: That is correct. 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 fire was sparked by a welding accident on the basement, with most floors of the Dongdu building being dedicated to blue-collar activities, and the nightclub itself being located only on the fourth floor. At 15,000 square feet, Pulsations itself featured 10 levels, 11 bars, and 12 VIP hotel rooms. Show Transcript. The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. This is solid gasoline. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. But I made a choice. He trusted the owners. 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. So, it was very quickly they were in the circle of people we should look at. Jody King: He trusted the club. They were friends. Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? That happened in 2001. Pulsations: It was the greatest nightclub in the world and I am honored to be a part of that history. that door being up, there is no question that that increased the likelihood that many, many more would perish. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. And while they weren't charged in the criminal case, survivors and victims' families sued them in civil court for not warning the Derderians the foam they sent them was flammable. RI Hospital specialists, Station fire victims reflect after a decade since deadly blaze: What happened that evening and for the ensuing four weeks was unprecedented in our hospital, said Dr. David T. Harrington. Apr 21, 2015, 2:39 PM. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. "It feels like somebody knew somebody who was in that fire or knew somebody who did, so the pain is very personal.". 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. Station nightclub fire survivor tells burn victims love can happen amid scars, fears: Joe Kinan has had more than 120 surgeries, not the least of which was a hand transplant. You know people didn't react instantly. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. Omar Mateen opened fire and killed 49 people there on June 12, 2016. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. It looked like it was raining black fire. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. I couldn't hear noise. They promoted the event. It was THE spot in the Delaware Valley in the '80s, and tonight "The Goldbergs" recreate the legendary nightclub for Barry's bachelor party. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? The Station fire changed how we view fire safety. 10. Officially attributed to a short circuit, Worst club fire and second worst fire disaster in Brazil, third deadliest club fire in history, Greatest number wounded by a man-made accident in Taiwan in 50 years. Jody King: He was gregarious. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. 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. How did you meet him? Inspection records showed that just three months before the fire, the Derderians had been cited by the local fire marshal for having a secondary, interior door by the stage that opened inward, which violated regulations. It was the greatest nightclub ever built, and it was quite an experience to see this robot come out. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Melinda was eight months pregnant at the time. More on the fire:The Station fire: 100 victims in photos. In the days after the fire, victims' families and survivors faced a harsh new reality. What kind of club was this? You were not approaching that area at all. 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. It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. Station Fire Memorial Foundation rejects donation from Great White singer: Out of the ashes of the Station fire, tougher building codes arose. Pulsations was THE spot in the Delaware Valley in the '80s, and tonight "The Goldbergs" recreate the legendary nightclub for Barry's bachelor party. Michael Derderian: We do understand that anger and that's that's why we're here with you. And he says you can. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. She and Matt knew they were expecting a girl and they had already chosen her name. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." Medical teams met the challenge; everyone who got out survived that night: Whatever their memories, the medical professionals who helped the victims of the Station nightclub fire 10 years ago have one thing in common: they will never forget. That factor into the pulsations nightclub fire to do that: Did you have enough time form! 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