WARWICK -- A Superior Court judge today ordered the state attorney
general's office to release about 270 phone calls and audio
transmissions among rescue personnel recorded the night a deadly fire
ripped through The Station nightclub.
The tapes will likely be released tomorrow morning.
Judge Mark Pfeiffer made his ruling based on a request from The
Providence Journal seeking more information about what happened at West
Warwick nightclub on Feb. 20.
"I think it is appropriate that The Providence Journal obtain this
information," Pfeiffer said.
The transmissions include 277 phone calls made by police, firefighters
and other first responders. They do not include calls made by club
patrons or other civilians.
The attorney general's office said eight of those will be edited to
delete some sensitive information, such as the identification of victims.
A spokesman for Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch has said the office is prepared
to comply with the judge's order.
Joel P. Rawson, senior vice president and executive editor of The
Providence Journal, called the release of the material "a significant
step in making public the events of The Station nightclub fire."
"We believe what happened that tragic night must be given a full and
timely public airing. Far too much of the government record is still
being held in secret. We will continue to use all of our resources to
pursue information that is of pressing public interest," Rawson said.
The Station fire -- which killed 100 people and injured about 200 others
-- started when pyrotechnics ignited highly flammable foam that had been
placed around the club's stage as soundproofing.
Thick smoke quickly spread through the one-story, wooden building
trapping patrons as they tried to flee.
Lynch's office has been conducting a criminal investigation into the
blaze. A grand jury is weighing whether criminal charges are warranted.
The attorney general's office said the information being released will
not affect the state's ongoing criminal investigation.
The office has been hesitant to release information to the public during
its criminal probe. State law bars the attorney general from discussing
an ongoing investigation.
Fire and building inspection reports and other documents regarding the
club have been released by the town of West Warwick, where the fire
occurred.
Requests for that paperwork came from reporters and civil attorneys
compiling lawsuits on behalf of fire survivors and victims' families.
West Warwick Town Solicitor Tim Williamson today objected the to the
judge's order, saying the information could create increased publicity
and may affect the town's right to a fair trial.
The town has been named in several lawsuits.
-- With reports from The Associated Press and Journal staff writer
Mark Arsenault
DIGITAL EXTRA:
Look back at coverage of The Station fire and its aftermath.
