Rhode Island Club's Wall Covering Went Unreported(Botched Inspection)

yahoo news ^ | 03/03/03 | Michael Weissenstein

[FreeTally]

R.I. Club's Wall Covering Went Unreported

Mon Mar 3, 9:16 PM ET

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN, Associated Press Writer

WEST WARWICK, R.I. - Inspectors never reported seeing the highly flammable and possibly illegal foam covering the walls of a nightclub where 98 people were killed in a fast-moving fire last month, according to documents released Monday that raise the possibility the inspections were botched.

The documents — more than 60 pages covering three years of inspections at The Station by town building and fire officials — do not mention the egg-crate packaging material employees say was installed as soundproofing in 2000.

Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer could not say why the foam wasn't noted in the reports. "They either didn't see it or it wasn't there. Those are the two possibilities," Bauer said.

Fire inspector Denis Larocque and building inspector Stephen Murray did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

The club's stage manager and sound engineer, Paul Vanner, said the foam had been there since 2000. An attorney for one of the club's owners said they had no idea the material was dangerous.

"At no time were they ever told by anyone that this foam was not appropriate. I mean, they just didn't know it until that night, sadly," said Kathleen Hagerty, who represents co-owner Michael Derderian.

The foam is believed to be a key part of the investigation into the Feb. 20 fire sparked by the pyrotechnics display of the band Great White. Flames raced up soundproofing behind and above the stage and roared through the club in mere minutes.

A grand jury began reviewing the case last week, but was not expected to resume proceedings until Tuesday, according to sources close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Polyurethane foam, which experts say burns like gasoline, was placed on the walls shortly after Jeffrey and Michael Derderian bought the club in 2000 after neighbors complained about noise.

Hagerty said the brothers didn't know the foam was made of polyurethane. Aram DerManouelian, president of American Foam Co., which sold the foam to the club, did not immediately return a call. He has said the club bought the cheapest material available, and that the company only sold foam designed for packaging.

Town fire and building inspectors visited The Station at least annually to decide whether to renew its liquor license. They visited in November and raised several minor code problems that were fixed in time for the club to pass inspection Dec. 31.

The inspection reports document problems from burned-out lightbulbs to improperly installed fire extinguishers, as well as a door near the stage that swung inward in violation of the fire code.

The door problem was noted in a 2001 fire inspector's report. It was apparently fixed but noted again in a report a year later.

My Note: It was "apparently" not fixed, but someone signed off on it being fixed. A door just doesn't reverse itself a year later.

Bauer suggested the door had been taken down to pass inspection and then put it back up. But he also said there was no indication the stage door contributed to the disaster.

My Note: A missing exterior door can pass inspection? Ok.

Bauer said he considers the foam a secondary issue and that investigators are focusing on pyrotechnics. The band has said it had permission to use the special effects, a claim denied by the club's owners.

Under state law, towns are immune from lawsuits unless they are found responsible for extraordinary wrongdoing.(You mean like a botched inspection?)

Paul Martinek, editor of Boston-based Lawyers Weekly USA, said the apparent failure by inspectors to note the polyurethane foam on the club's walls may be enough to hold the town liable. (Doesn't take a lawyer to know this)

"That definitely is the kind of negligence that could make the town susceptible to some kind of liability," he said. "Here you have what is apparently a glaring violation of the law, not once but multiple times."

Don Bliss, the New Hampshire fire marshal and president of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, said examining wall coverings and determining their flammability is a vital part of any fire inspection.

Sometimes, assessing the material requires holding a small sample to an open flame, he said.

"It's an important part of any inspection. It's also one of the most difficult," Bliss said.

East Providence Fire Chief Gerald Bessette, whose department has two inspectors for a city of 50,000 people, said fire inspectors try their best to do a thorough job.

"I won't try to kid anybody, in the normal course of an inspection things can get overlooked," he said. "You just hope you catch them the next time around." (Overlooked? Please, stay up there and dont come anywhere near Florida)

Meanwhile, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino banned pyrotechnics displays in the city's 210 licensed nightclubs Monday and said a task force will examine safety regulations. "The recent fire tragedy in Rhode Island had an effect on all of us," he said.

[FreeTally]

Well, well, well. Its all starting to play out just like many freepers guessed. Sparklers or not, there would have been no fire if this highly flammable material hadn't been a)installed instead of actual soundproofing material and b) was properly inspected by the fire inspector.

[FreeTally]

Might be of some interest to you.....

[TLBSHOW]

add the city there as having to pay out money too!

[Tijeras_Slim]

"They either didn't see it or it wasn't there. Those are the two possibilities,"

Third possibility... Inspector was presented with complementary etchings of the Club Owner's grandfather, who looks remarkably like Ben Franklin.

[Question_Assumptions]

It sounds like both the band and club owners did stupid things and the fire inspectors dropped the ball. As I said before, this sounds simply like a lot of smaller mistakes adding up to one whopper of a disaster. And, thus, there is going to be a strong desire to pick one of the many mistakes as "the" cause of the disaster.

[TLBSHOW]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - As families of the dead and injured struggle with their grief after one of the country's deadliest fires, some are starting to look for compensation. Lawyers say it won't come easily.


AP Photo


AP Photo
Slideshow: Rhode Island Nightclub Fire





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Special Coverage

R.I. Nightclub Fire Claims May Total $1B

Rhode Island lawyers estimate at least $1 billion worth of lawsuit claims will be filed in the coming months. But they're not as confident that the pockets of those who may be responsible are deep enough to pay.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030303/ap_on_re_us/nightclub_fire_lawsuits_5

[FreeTally]

LOL!!!

[alisasny]

It was "apparently" not fixed, but someone signed off on it being fixed

Well it looks as if the "fire inspecters" were not doing their jobs properly. I am not surprised by this at all.

Its much easier to do the bare minimum then do your true job description. I bet this job was one of the most cushy also.

[chatham]

This story puts me in mind of a ( Sponge Bob square Pants)show. In the scene they are waiting for a health inspector to check out their restaurant and the owner of the Restaurant in sitting in a barrel of cash waiting for the inspector.
Kinda makes you wonder??

[mewzilla]

Maybe they could find some patrons who remember when they saw the stuff on the walls. Inspectors and employees of the owners are not what I'd call disinterested bystanders.

[Dane]

Well, well, well. Its all starting to play out just like many freepers guessed. Sparklers or not, there would have been no fire if this highly flammable material hadn't been a)installed instead of actual soundproofing material and b) was properly inspected by the fire inspector.

And an unlicensed permitless employee of Great White, tour manager Dan Biechiele setting up and igniting the pyrotechnics.

[Dane]

These weren't sparklers, they were gerbs. Here is a set of safety instructions from a gerb manufacturer.

SAFETY A 10 x 12 Gerb, for example, burns 10 seconds with a vertical spark height of just under 12 feet (3.65 meters). Be certain there is enough clearance for the rated height of the Gerb you have chosen, as indicated by the second number in the rating. As always, when using any pyrotechnic effect outdoors, be sure to calculate the possible effects of wind on your safety clearances. The devices can also be fired at an angle, in a "V" configuration, but the height, distance and amount of fallout may be different from when they are fired vertically. A Gerb fired at an angle can throw sparks laterally a considerable distance, and remember, once a Gerb is fired it cannot be extinguished until it burns out. Always test fire your system before the performance to make sure that the effect is safe and is what you want visually. All PYROPAK® Gerbs are designed for use with PYROPAK® equipment only. For example, they may be used in a Gerb Fan Holder or a Fast Sparkle Pot. Before using your Gerb, be sure to read the instruction manual that accompanied your system and, most importantly, the safety precautions. If you do not have a PYROPAK® manual for your system, please contact LUNA TECH, INC. and we’ll gladly send you one. We also recommend that you read NFPA 1126 “Code for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience”. You can get a copy of this very informative and useful document by contacting the NFPA Publications Office at +1-800-344-3555, or by mail at: NFPA, PO Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101, USA.

LINK

I am not absolving the club of negligence, like you are trying to absolve the band of negligence.

[Japedo]

The door problem was noted in a 2001 fire inspector's report. It was apparently fixed but noted again in a report a year later.

This is very curious, I wonder if it's a pattern. I wonder who signed off on the supposed door being fixed, and was it fixed at the time of the fire? Did that hinder escapes, I realize it say's it didn't but how do we know this isn't CYA?

[CindyDawg]

Another pocket found.

[dfwgator]

The "deep pocket" has been found.

[Contra]

Just a sidebar, "botched" is the new favorite word in the media. There was the "botched" operation on that illegal alien girl, now a "botched" inspection, you will hear this word used over and over again by the media. I can remember the use of the words "tarmac," "gravitas," and the phrase "a wiff of" over and over and now "botched" is the media's favorite word of choice.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Don Bliss, the New Hampshire fire marshal and president of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, said examining wall coverings and determining their flammability is a vital part of any fire inspection.

Sometimes, assessing the material requires holding a small sample to an open flame, he said.

"It's an important part of any inspection. It's also one of the most difficult," Bliss said.

Somebody is going to prison - plus, if there were bribes involved, the Feds can get involved.

[goron]

 

Desert Moon
(Lardie, Niven, Kendall, Russell)

Let's shake this town baby
Come with me
I need a little lovin' company
C'mon now
I know where we can go
This is the time
T'stay out all night
I've gotta fire
Like a heavenly light
C'mon baby
Let's take a drive

 

C'mon baby
Let's do it right
Time to dance
In the magic light
Of the desert moon

Come on honey
Let's get it right
Make romance
In the magic light
Of the desert moon

 

Let's lay it down
Under a cactus tree
Give a little lovin' ecstacy

C'mon now
It's time to go
Little baby
You're a beautiful sight
I've got the love
And we have the night
C'mon baby
It's time to fly

 

 

CONFIRMED DEAD in hospital (2)

Linda Suffoletto, Glocester, R.I, at Massachusetts General Hospital

Kelly Viera, West Warwick, R.I, at Boston Shriners Hospital

 

CONFIRMED DEAD at the scene (96)

Louis S. Alves, 33, of Lincoln.

Kevin Anderson, 37, of Warwick.

Stacie Angers, 29, of Worcester, Mass.

Christopher Arruda, 30, of Coventry.

Eugene Avilez, 21, of Burlington, Mass.

Tina Ayer, 33, of Warwick.

Karla Bagtaz, 41, of Randolph, Mass.

Mary H. Baker, 32, of Fall River, Mass.

Thomas Barnett, 38, of West Greenwich.

Laureen Beauchaine, 35, of West Warwick.

Steven Thomas Blom, 38, of Cranston.

William Christopher Bonardi, 36, of Smithfield.

Kristine Carbone, 38, of Taunton, Mass.

Richard A. Cabral Jr., 37, of Attleboro, Mass.

William Cartwright, 42, of Pawtucket.

Edward B. Corbett III, 31, of West Warwick.

Michael Cordier, 31, of Westerly.

Alfred Crisostomi, 38, of Warwick.

Robert Croteau, 31, of Fall River, Mass.

Lisa D'Andrea, 42, of Barrington.

Matthew P. Darby, 36, of Coventry.

Dina Ann DeMaio, 30, of West Warwick.

Albert Anthony DiBonaventura, 18, of North Dighton, Mass.

Christina DiRienzo, 37, Plymouth, Mass.

Kevin J. Dunn, 37, of Attleboro, Mass.

Lori K. Durante, 40, of West Warwick.

Edward Ervanian, 29, of Cranston.

Thomas Fleming, 30, of Worcester, Mass.

Rachael K. Florio-DePietro , 31, of Coventry.

Mark A. Fontaine, 22, of Johnston.

Daniel Frederickson, 37, of Coventry.

Michael Fresolo, 32, of Worcester, Mass.

James Gahan, 21, of Falmouth, Mass.

Melvin Gerfin, 46, of Groton, Conn.

Laura Gillett, 32, of Pembroke, Mass.

Charline Elaine Gingras-Fick, 35, of Central Falls.

Michael James Gonsalves, 40, of Warwick.

James Gooden, 37, of Cranston.

Derek Gray, 22, of Dracut, Mass.

Skott Greene, 35, of Warwick.

Scott Griffith, 41, of West Warwick.

Bonnie L. Hamelin, 27, of Warwick.

Jude Henault, 37, of Lisbon, Conn.

Andrew Hoban, 22, of North Kingstown.

Abbie L. Hoisington, 28, of Cranston.

Michael Hoogasian, 31, of Cranston.

Sandy Hoogasian, 27, of Cranston.

Carlton "Bud" Howorth III, 39, of Norton, Mass.

Eric James Hyer, 22, of Scituate.

Derek Brian Johnson, 32, of West Warwick.

Lisa Kelly, 27, of Swansea, Mass.

Tracy F. King, 39, of Warwick.

Michael Joseph Kulz, 30, of Warwick.

Keith Lapierre, 29, of Worcester, Mass.

Dale Latulippe, 46, of Carver, Mass.

Stephen M. Libera, 21, of North Kingstown.

John M. Longiaru, 23, of Johnston.

Ty Longley, 31, of Northridge, Calif.

Andrea Mancini, 28, of Johnston.

Keith A. Mancini, 34, of Cranston.

Steven Mancini, 39, of Johnston.

Judith Manzo, 37, of North Providence.

Thomas Frank Marion Jr., 27, of Westport, Mass.

Jeffrey Martin, 33, of Melrose, Mass.

Tammy Mattera-Housa, 29, of Warwick.

Kristen McQuarrie, 37, of Ledyard, Conn.

Thomas Medeiros, 40, of Coventry.

Samuel Miceli, 37, of Lisbon, Conn.

Donna M. Mitchell, 29, of Fall River, Mass.

Leigh Ann Moreau, 21, of Providence.

Ryan M. Morin, 31, of Boston, Mass.

Jason Morton, 38, of West Greenwich.

Beth Mosczynski, 33, of Millbury, Mass.

Katherine O'Donnell, 26, of Seekonk, Mass.

Nicholas Philip O'Neill, 18, of Pawtucket.

Matthew James Pickett, 33, of Bellingham, Mass.

Carlos L. Pimentel Sr., 38, of West Warwick.

Christopher Prouty, 24, of Pawtucket.

Theresa Rakoski, 30, of Taunton, Mass.

Jeffrey Rader, 32, of Danville, Calif.

Robert L. Reisner III, 29, of Coventry.

Walter Rich, 40, of Attleboro, Mass.

Donald Roderiques, 46, of Mashpee, Mass.

Tracey Romanoff, 32, of Coventry.

Joseph Rossi, 35, of Pawtucket.

Bridget Sanetti, 25, of Coventry.

Rebecca Shaw, 24, of Warwick.

Dennis Smith, 36, of Pawtucket.

Victor Stark, 39, of West Yarmouth, Mass.

Benjamin Suffoletto, 43, of Glocester.

Shawn Sweet, 28, of Pembroke, Mass.

Jason Sylvester, 24, of Coventry.

Sarah Jane Telgarsky, 37, of Plainfield, Conn.

Kevin Washburn, 30, of Franklin, Mass.

Everett "Tommy" Woodmansee, 30, of Charlestown.

Robert Daniel Young, 29, of Taunton, Mass.

 

1. Exit Sign not properly lit.
2. Cheap Highly flamable packing material used in place of flame retardent
Sound Proofing.
3. Security telling customers they could not use a specific side exit to
leave because it was only for the band.
4. Regular over crowding of club.
5. Photos just released show the sound man next to a box of explosives after
he told people he wasn't aware that any pyrotechnics were being used.
6. Reports that Pyrotechnics were used many other times at the club. Photos
confirm this.

More addresses to know
Posted Sunday, March 2, 2003

Any memories (video, photos, etc) you'd like to share with Baby Longley can be sent to:

Baby Longley
P.O. Box 1247
Plainfield, IL 60544-1247

RI Relief Funds:

Station Fire Victims Fund
c/o Citizens Bank
56 Rolfe St.
Cranston, RI 02910

The Station Fire Victim Fund
Centreville Savings Bank
1218 Main St.
West Warwick, RI 02893

Office of Community Services
184 Broad St.
Providence, RI 02903
(Indicate West Warwick Fire Emergency Fund in check memo)

Catholic Charity Fund
80 St. Mary Drive
Cranston, RI 02920
(Indicate West Warwick Fire Emergency Fund in check memo)

 

[FreeTally]

I am not absolving the club of negligence, like you are trying to absolve the band of negligence.

I have never said nor implied any such thing and have continuously stated in these threads that the band was negligent and is guilty of breaking fire code. You, on the other hand, have insisted, and appear to continue to insist, that the City/State had no responsibility in detecting and ordering the removal of the foam packing materail which was illegally used as soundproofing material by the club.

Bottom line: If we are to live in a country where we have given government the power to make rules and regulations concering construction of buildings and potential hazards, and if we are giving them the power to check up on these things on a yearly basis(or less) and determine whether we have a right to business, trade and commerce based upon adhering to these requirements, then the blame goes from the top down when government has shirked its repsonsibility to the citizens and failed its duty to protect its citizens from hazards. The bottom line is not a pyro guy breaking fire code, for this happens all of the time and does not result in such unfortunate incidents. The bottom line is scummy club owners and either incompetent or corrupt government officials creating a situation where such an incident could easily happen in the absence of any other criminal wrong-doing.

[FreeTally]

Maybe they could find some patrons who remember when they saw the stuff on the walls.

The seller of the foam packing material has an invoice with the date of sale on it, pretty much establishing the general date it was installed. Also, complaints to the city about noise, which prompted the purchase of the cheap packing material, have verifiable dates.

I dont think the question of "when was it there" will be too hard to answer.