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12.14.2003
 Details
will tell this story of disaster
Recognizing that people close to the victims of The Station
fire may find it too painful to confront newspaper reports at this time, I thought
it might be useful to tell readers what the content of upcoming days will be
so they can plan their reading accordingly.
In this series we look at the chain of decisions that led to 100 fatalities.
Included are the roles of the legislature, the town, the inspectors, the club
operators, the physical layout of the club, the number of exits, the properties
of polyurethane foam and the speed of the fire, among other issues. We also
tell the personal stories of many people who went out one night in February
simply to have a good time.
No other agency, be it private or government, has addressed some of these issues.
We believe it is the job of a good newspaper to report in detail the most pressing
issues in the community it serves. No other issue in 2003 deserved The Journal's
attention and resources more than this tragedy.
Why are we running the stories at this time? Soon after the fire, I set these
goals for The Providence Journal: First, find out who was in The Station the
night of the fire and report their stories. Second, find out why 100 people
died. Lastly, do it by the end of the year so that the facts are before the
readers and their representatives when the legislature meets in January.
These are the stories in this series, and their contents:
Day 1, today, is a story about the town and people of West Warwick and focuses
on Tom Medeiros, who grew up there and worked at the Bradford Soap Works. Tom
Medeiros and his friend Lori Durante died in the fire.
Day 2, tomorrow, is about the history of fire codes in Rhode Island, with a
special look at grandfathering, the practice of exempting older buildings from
new fire-safety rules. The legislature's role is examined. The story looks at
the major fires that shaped the code before the fire at The Station. They include
a 1995 fire in West Warwick that killed five people two days before Christmas,
a 1960 fire at the Colonial Inn in Bristol and the fire at Providence College
in 1977 that killed 10 young women. The story also includes the Cocoanut Grove
fire in Boston and the Our Lady of the Angels School fire in Chicago.
Day 3, Tuesday, is about inspection and enforcement in West
Warwick. It includes comments from two former inspectors who cite political
pressure as an impediment to doing their jobs.
Day 4, Wednesday, looks at the owners and operators of The Station. The Derderian
brothers, Michael and Jeffrey, operated the club, and Triton Realty Limited
Partnerships owned the property.
Day 5, Thursday, is a story about West Warwick fire inspector Denis Larocque
and his inspections and the setting of capacities at the nightclub.
Day 6, Friday, is a story about the music fans who went to The Station to see
Great White. It focuses on Michael and Sandy Hoogasian of Cranston and Skott
Greene.
On Saturday, no series story is planned.
Day 7, next Sunday, reconstructs the fire from the point of view of many survivors.
It tells how swiftly the fire and smoke moved through the building and how people
escaped despite darkness, poisonous smoke and confusion. It is also a story
of heroism: people not only struggled to save themselves, but many also turned
back to save others. The story is true to what happened and contains graphic
details and many personal accounts.
Day 8, Monday, Dec. 22, is about the aftermath of the fire. It reports changes
in legislation and inspections spurred by the fire and looks at what some of
the principal people have done since that night.
Joel Rawson is the executive editor of The Providence
Journal.
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