Lincoln Chafee: “3 weeks ago--on a cold winter evening-- several hundred people gathered at the Station nightclub, a popular venue for…”

“3 weeks ago--on a cold winter evening-- several hundred people gathered at the Station nightclub, a popular venue for live bands in West Warwick, RI. They had come to spend time with friends and to listen to music. Too quickly, this festive occasion turned to horror. A local television cameraman--who ironically was there to shoot footage for a news story on nightclub safety--captured the scene in an extraordinary piece of video that will haunt Rhode Islanders for many years. A pyrotechnic display on stage ignited nearby soundproofing material, and the flames spread through the nightclub with shocking speed. By most estimates, it took only 2 minutes--2 minutes--from the moment that soundproofing caught fire, until the building was engulfed in flames and filled with superheated, toxic, black smoke. As this disaster unfolded, heroic emergency personnel rushed to the rescue, placing their own lives in jeopardy. Eyewitness accounts described amazing acts of bravery at the scene. Firefighters saved dozens of men and women, whom they pulled from the doorways and windows of the burning building. Meanwhile, EMTs did their best to stabilize those who were gravely injured and worked with the police to help bring order to the prevailing chaos. Rhode Island is blessed with a network of fine hospitals, several of which have received national recognition for the quality of their care.…”