Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. California residents do not sell my data request. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. According to author Scott James, Great White had reportedly used a large pyro display without permission at other clubs, including just days before the fire at a show in New Jersey. [tears up, shaking his head]. 60 Minutes did a huge story on him. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. The white padding is soaked red. That happened in 2002. Some bouncers are ill-equipped to handle crowds in a lawful manner. You should be proud." 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. Its name was Pulsar and it was skinned to be an alien. my dad was in the room. He says he managed to escape through the front door before a stampede of people got stuck in the narrow hallway and blocked the exit. 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. Fused by pain, Station fire survivors, loved ones mark 18th anniversary: Theyre all here. it became very, very hard to breathe. These are videos of prior performances taken inside the club. Out of the ashes of the Station fire, tougher building codes arose: R.I.'s fire safety rules changed from arcane and confusing to a modern code more easily understood. If you do a little research on Leon you'll find that he was a non-union builder in Philadelphia, which is a union town. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." Jeff Derderian: this is flammable you can't have this. 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. 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. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. Do you understand that anger? The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, hosted a band, which used unapproved pyrotechnics during the performance. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. They threatened his family. 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 . 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. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. In many communities, the crucial task of inspecting buildings in search of potentially life-threatening fire hazards falls to just one person. The guy had to have remote starters on his car because they would blow up them up. The gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, was a U.S. citizen born in Queens, New York, to Afghan . 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. 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.". these contracts are pretty specific. The Station nightclub fire killed 100 people and injured more than 200. 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. 81. Michael Derderian: Jeffrey was responsible for all the marketing activities. Linda Saran: They have said they were sorry. 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? You can even expect an appearance from the club's famous robot. Jody King: He was gregarious. 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. January 30, 2023 Chris McGoey. She knew he was going to conduct the attack, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg said. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? The most famous clubs in this era, 1980s-2000s, included Club Fac 51 Haidenda in Manchester, England (in a former warehouse that was redesigned by . Right. She asks does anyone remember Pulsations Nightclub? The Derderians have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station . The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment . It's not just about hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful. Jeff Derderian: I remember we were trying to get people away from the building. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. Phil Barr: Yep. Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. The morning after the fire, the lead singer of Great White, Jack Russell, claimed the brothers had given the band permission to set off the fireworks. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. And he's like he don't know. / CBS News. I am proud. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. Purchase and sale had been signed. We have an exit through the kitchen. Phil Barr: We kind of crouched down behind some of the people in front of us. The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. The answer is no. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. But Jeff Derderian, who was helping out at the bar, says he and an employee tried to get to the stage with a fire extinguisher. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? You worked at the Pulsations Night Club near Philly which opened with a fatal accident in 1983. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. On the day he died, Matt kissed his wifes stomach and said: God, I wish shed come today. Now, ten years later the family reflects on the many challenges and losses life has thrown at them. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. As the California band Great White took the stage that February night in 2003, pyrotechnics ignited soundproofing foam insulation which resulted in a massive blaze. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. The Station fire changed how we view fire safety. For everyone who was involved, the memories still haunt them. It was completely preventable. There isn't a guilt in terms of like, that we knowingly did this or or caused it but there's a guilt that we it happened on our watch, happened on our watch. 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. Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. What he calls a fellowship has endured. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. It looked like a ladder of those black jelly bracelets from the 80s hanging in rings around my wrists. I had no control over my muscles. On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States.Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a three-hour standoff. if I had nothing to hide, then why wouldn't you why wouldn't you talk to them and tell them what you knew or what you didn't know? Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. This 4.84 AC Land is for sale on LoopNet.com. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. Biechele and Michael Derderian went to prison. 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. But does that mean it's not a crime? The 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. 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. Feb 20, 2023. The burned remnants of The Station nightclub, after a fire killed 100 people in February 2003. Karma/Comeuppance, Liars/Scammers, Nightclub, Portugal, Teenagers, Underaged | Right | December 3, 2022. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? The blaze began when members of a band performing at the . 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. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. That's what the code says. Band road manager Daniel Biechele, for triggering the pyrotechnics that sparked the fire. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. Many involve pyrotechnic failures. I couldn't get up. The father of Jessica and Sarah as well as Melindas husband, Matt, died in The Station fire. The FBI allowed the photos to be released after Mateens wife, Noor Salman, was arrested for obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting by providing material support to a terrorist organization a day earlier. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. 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. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. The girl who won received the contract with the doctor and had to give us before-and-after brassieres. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. But then the door would go back up when it was going to be a loud night. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the Station nightclub fire, one of the deadliest blazes to ever occur at a nightclub in the United States. That happened in 2001. Pulsations: It was the greatest nightclub in the world and I am honored to be a part of that history. It takes a massive amount of work to rescue a bar from redesigning the menus, the interior and the logo to picking furnishings and more importantly, changing the attitude of . I have to find him. And I'm like, "OK.". 20th Anniversary Remembrance of Station Night Club Fire. Jody King: When he walked into a room, if there wasn't a smile he'd start balancing stuff to get you uplifted and smiling. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. 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. When others turned away from the Derderians, King remained. It wasnt about forgiveness for the death of his brother, because he never blamed them. They want to talk to you." The Foam.". We bronzed the bras and hung them over the urinals in the men's room. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? He was the most badly burned survivor of the 2003 Station nightclub fire. When just brushing against it an overheard reference, a roadside glimpse can rekindle the searing pain? 10. Michael Derderian: I don't know about that. Station owners silent as fire's 10th anniversary nears: The Derderian brothers, who purchased the West Warwick, R.I., nightclub in 2000 with hopes of making it a thriving business, still draw anger, and resentment from victims, and their families. She appeared on Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, Calif., where a federal prosecutor said she was aware that her husband was going to carry out the club rampage and did nothing to stop it. After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla.: Former tour manager who lit the pyrotechnics has left music industry behind, his lawyer says. Linda Saran: My hospital roommate, he and I took turns driving the respiratory therapist crazy in some ways it's almost like being in war together. Final . Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. Not exactly. 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. Jody King: He trusted the club. Building was of mixed-use. 25 seconds: The flames start spreading to the ceiling. They were friends. They should have blamed more. Scott James: When people arrive, they walk through this entrance and this kinda longish hallway. As a result, the pyrotechnics ignited the sound-proofing polyurethane lining the walls and ceiling of the club. Germany. All told, 100 people were killed either in the fire or as a result of their injuries and it became the nation's fourth deadliest nightclub fire. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. It took less than 5 minutes for fire to engulf The Station nightclub, packed with . In the months and years that followed, Jody also learned about Tracy's heroic last moments. That specific. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. 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. The clubs bathrooms, where dozens of people were trapped as the nightmare unfolded, sustained severe damage and photos taken inside one of them show blood-streaked toilets and sinks. West Warwick police officer Mark Knott radioed headquarters: Stampede.. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. Gina Russo says she emerged from the flames in a better place: But 10 years after the fire killed her fianc, after 54 operations and skin grafts to heal her burned body and treat recurring complications; after periods of sadness, anger and frustration over who was lost, who wasnt prosecuted, who never apologized, Russo says she is grateful. Why had the fire spread so quickly? She and Matt knew they were expecting a girl and they had already chosen her name. 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. First of all, I don't know you would, how would you how would you accomplish the detail and the amount of new information in a news conference or, you know, a commercial or something that we would try and do on our own. Michael Derderian: And I'm saying to him "Did everybody get out Did anyone die?" We all make mistakes. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. He transformed a bank of rooms in his hotel in Valley Forge into "fantasy suites" to entice weekend visitors. Jim Axelrod: I want to ask you about Phil Barr. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. "24 Reported Dead, 70 Injured In Fire in South Korean Disco", "China holds 31 responsible for disco blaze", "54 Die in Fire at Youth Hangout in South Korea", "Fire Kills 54, Injures 75 at Illegal Bar in S. Korea", "Brazil, Mexico And Other Deadly Nightclub Fires In Latin America", "Ballroom blaze that killed firefighter arson", " "911": - ? And 18 years after the fire, the brothers say they want to set the record straight and reveal new information. He lost his fingers and ears as well as the sight in his left eye, along with much of his nose tissue. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. Lying on the floor not far from the horseshoe bar, Barr lost consciousness. Members of the band start to become aware of the fire. But there is more to be done. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. 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