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May 8, 2007 2:24 pm US/Eastern
Derderian Breaks Silence About Sentence
PROVIDENCE (AP) ―
An owner of a nightclub where 100 people died in a 2003 fire said Tuesday that he is grateful he was able to resolve manslaughter charges against him by performing community service for a nonprofit society that works with burn victims.
Jeffrey Derderian, in his first extensive interview since he was charged with involuntary manslaughter in 2003, told The Associated Press on Tuesday he planned to continue his volunteer work long after his sentence is finished.
"From what I've seen so far, there's a need on many different levels, and I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it and try to contribute in a small way," said Derderian, who pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced in September to 500 hours of community service.
A fire broke out at The Station nightclub in West Warwick on Feb. 20, 2003, when pyrotechnics for the band Great White ignited flammable foam lining the club's walls. In addition to the 100 people killed, more than 200 people were injured.
Family members of those who were hurt and killed criticized the deal agreed to with prosecutors that gave Derderian only community service and his brother Michael, co-owner of the club, four years in prison.
Derderian said Michael was also eager to help out once he is released.
"We've spoken at length about some things that, perhaps, we can try to do together once he's able," Derderian said. "But he's not able to do anything right now."
Derderian is fulfilling his community service requirement with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, which is based in Grand Rapids, Mich. He also said he's volunteering with a fire and rescue department in West Greenwich.
A former television reporter, Derderian is organizing a public relations campaign for a firefighter's cross-country bike ride from Boston to California. The effort kicked off Tuesday with a goal of raising $100,000 for the organization.
"If I can help bring some awareness to the Phoenix Society and people like this firefighter, Mike Manning, then that's where my efforts are focused. That's where my attention is," Derderian said.
Last month, Attorney General Patrick Lynch criticized Derderian for having only done 70 hours of community service so far. Derderian said Tuesday the process of finding an appropriate place to volunteer began immediately after he was sentenced and "took longer than expected."
James Gahan, whose son, Jimmy, died in the fire, said he and other families were never satisfied with Derderian's community service sentence. He said if Derderian wants to make a real difference, he should offer a public accounting of how the club was run -- something that he said has never happened.
Gahan said Derderian should also continue to work once the sentence is completed on things such as tougher fire laws and holding fire officials accountable for enforcing fire codes.
"If he can transform that time into something that has benefit for the future, not just for him, that would make a difference," Gahan said.
Derderian would not discuss how he and his brother were doing.
"I don't think it's appropriate for me even to go down any sort of road about how my brother is, how we are," Derderian said. "It's really not important at all."
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
