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November 29, 2006

Station evidence: Door left in place despite admonishing

Two employees of The Station nightclub told investigators after the deadly fire that they knew there was an “issue” with an exit door located to the right of the stage that opened inward against state code.

Nevertheless, on the night of the fire, the door was in place, without a doorknob. To open the door, people had to put their fingers in a small hole where the knob had been, according to documents released today.

The exit door was in place to suppress noise, the employees told inspectors, West Warwick Police Det. Sgt. Keith C. Azverde wrote in an affidavit in support of a search warrant.

West Warwick Building Inspector Steve Murray told investigators, according to Azverde’s affidavit, that The Station had been “previously admonished for having an unlawful door on the exit door located to the right of the stage.”

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

“He stated that this door was a violation of code because it opened inward and was covered with acoustic foam,” Azverde wrote about Murray. “They [the nightclub owners] had been told to remove this door. It was his understanding that this door had been removed. Interviews with patrons and employees along with the physical inspection of the fire scene has conclusively established that this door was in place at the time of the fire, had no door knob, swung inward, was covered with acoustic foam and had to be opened by placing fingers in the small hole where the knob used to be.”

Azverde also noted that the state police sought a search warrant of club owner Michael Derderian’s home shortly after the fire. The document is among thousands of pages related to The Station fire investigation that the state Attorney General’s Office released today.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:47 PM | Permalink

November 29, 2006

Station evidence: Door left in place despite admonishing

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