The Station Nightclub Fire

THE STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to recall one of the most tragic events in the history of the State of Rhode Island. It was almost 1 year ago, on February 20, 2003, that a devastating fire destroyed the Station nightclub in West Warwick, RI, killing 100 people and injuring nearly 300 more. The impact of this horrific incident on our small State is beyond measure, as most Rhode Islanders either suffered a direct loss, or knew someone who died or was injured in this blaze.

The first anniversary of the fire will bring back painful memories for many in our community. I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who perished and to let them know that our thoughts and prayers remain with them and with the survivors who continue to struggle with the physical and mental toll of this horrible event.

Looking back on the West Warwick fire and its aftermath also reminds us that it brought out the best in our people. In the first minutes and hours of this tragedy, our firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel performed heroically under terrifying circumstances, as did many of the patrons who were at the scene and helped to save others. Nearby small businesses like the Cowesett Inn restaurant were turned into triage centers, and first responders from throughout southern New England descended upon West Warwick to do whatever they could to help.

I visited victims at all of our hospitals and in Boston as well. I was inspired by their courage and the extraordinary skill and compassion of countless doctors, nurses and health professionals.

As our Nation continues to fight the war on terror, the response to the West Warwick fire provides a good illustration of the progress we have made-and how far we have to go-in improving our emergency management capabilities. As the magnitude of the tragedy became known, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and hospitals throughout southern New England activated emergency incident command systems, many of which were designed after September 11, 2001. The process of rescuing and treating victims, putting out the blaze, identifying bodies, accounting for the missing, providing crisis counseling for survivors put a tremendous strain on State and local agencies.

I have no doubt that Rhode Island's post-September 11 emergency management planning efforts, backed by Federal assistance programs through the new Department of Homeland Security, made a difference in responding to the West Warwick fire.

In the past year, Rhode Island's ability to respond to mass casualty events has been further improved with the help of Federal programs such as the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Interoperable Communications grants, and the Department of Health and Human Services' bioterror response grants to hospitals. All told, Congress has provided more than $75 million to Rhode Island over the past 3 years for emergency management and terrorism prevention and response. Yet we continue to face tremendous challenges, and we need to do more.

I want to say a special word of thanks to my colleagues Senator Gregg and Senator Hollings for their strong support in securing funding through the Department of Justice to reimburse State and local law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island for extraordinary expenses related to the fire.

The Station nightclub fire was a catastrophe. Fault will be appointed in the days ahead by the civil and criminal courts, but Rhode Island is already taking steps to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. The Rhode Island General Assembly passed the Comprehensive Fire Safety Act of 2003 to repeal the "grandfather" exemption from modern fire codes and require more sprinklers in places of public assembly, especially nightclubs. The law also bans pyrotechnics in most indoor venues and gives greater power to fire inspectors. The State fire marshal now faces the task of training the State's fire inspectors and meeting with businesses and institutions to explain how the code applied to individual buildings.

As State and local officials across the country reexamine their fire and building codes and step up enforcement of safety practices in public buildings. Congress should do everything it can to support this effort and to encourage both State and local governments and Federal agencies to adopt and strictly enforce the most current fire and building consensus codes. I was also proud to join my colleague Senator HOLLINGS in introducing the American Home Fire Safety Act-S. 1798-to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to implement comprehensive fire safety standards for upholstered furniture, mattresses, bedclothing, and candles.

No one in Rhode Island will forget the tragic events of February 20, 2003, and I hope we will never forget the way Rhode Islanders came together in that dark hour to do whatever was needed to save lives and relieve the suffering of the victims. That generous spirit has continued. Over the past year, Rhode Islanders and Americans across the country have donated more than $3 million to the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund to help families affected by the tragedy, including children who lost parents in the fire.

We often hear that it is in times of crisis that a person's true nature is revealed. That standard applies to communities as well, and as we approach a painful anniversary that will again focus the world's attention on the sorrow and grief felt by so many Rhode Islanders, I believe the people of our State have much to be proud of for the way they responded to this tragedy. It is now our duty to do all that we can to make sure that no community ever again faces a catastrophe like this one.

I thank the Chair and I yield the floor.