[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 41 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3760-S3761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IMPROVED FIRE SAFETY IN NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 85, which is at 
the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 85) expressing the 
     sense of the Congress with regard to the need for improved 
     fire safety in nonresidential buildings in the aftermath of 
     the tragic fire on February 20, 2003, at a nightclub in West 
     Warwick, Rhode Island.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, yesterday the House passed H. Con. Res.85, a 
resolution paying respect to the victims of the tragic nightclub fire 
on February 20, 2003 in West Warwick, RI, and expressing the sense of 
Congress regarding the need for improved fire safety in buildings used 
by the public. I thank my colleagues for expediting consideration of 
this important resolution in the Senate today.
  The West Warwick fire is a devastating loss that has affected the 
lives of thousands of Rhode Islanders. Mr. President, 99 people have 
died, and nearly 190 people were injured, many of whom are still in 
hospitals in critical condition.
  In the first minutes and hours of this tragedy, our firefighters, 
police, and emergency medical personnel performed heroically under 
horrific circumstances, as did many of the patrons who were at the 
scene and helped to save others.
  I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the many families of 
those who perished in the West Warwick fire, and to let them know that 
our thoughts and prayers are with them and with the survivors who will 
struggle with the physical and mental toll of this horrible event for 
the rest of their lives.
  This was a catastrophe brought on by a series of bad decisions. Fault 
will be sorted out in time, but there are already lessons learned.
  State and local officials across the country are, and should be, 
reexamining their fire and building codes and stepping up enforcement 
of safety practices in public buildings to make sure that a tragedy 
like this does not happen again. 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.
  In addition, as our nation continues to fight the war on terror, the 
response to the West Warwick fire provides a good illustration of how 
far we've come--and how far we have to go--in improving our emergency 
management capabilities. Local first responders were on the scene 
within minutes to help rescue victims, treat the injured, and fight the 
tremendous blaze that consumed the Station nightclub. As casualties 
continued to mount, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency 
coordinated the massive rescue and recovery efforts by state and local 
agencies from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Several 
hospitals in Rhode Island and Massachusetts received scores of victims 
suffering from severe burns and smoke inhalation, many of whom remain 
in critical condition today.
  There is no question that the response to the West Warwick fire was 
better than it would have been before September 11, 2001, thanks to our 
state's efforts over the past 18 months to strengthen emergency 
preparedness. Federal assistance in this regard has helped, including 
equipment and training grants from the Department of Justice's Office 
of Domestic Preparedness, FIRE Grants from the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, and bioterror preparedness grants from the 
Department of Health and Human Services, which included funding to 
create regional hospital plans to respond to terrorism.
  But we can do better. As tragic as the West Warwick fire was, it was 
a localized event involving deaths and injuries in the hundreds rather 
than thousands, yet it overwhelmed our state's emergency response 
systems and hospital emergency room capacity. Assistance from 
surrounding states and Federal agencies was required to manage the 
immense tasks of emergency response, medical care, and identifying 
scores of bodies.
  Rhode Island and other states, with the support of the Federal 
Government, will continue our efforts to strengthen the security of our 
homeland, and we will apply the hard lessons learned in West Warwick 
about safety in public buildings.
  Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for supporting this important 
resolution to urge state and local officials and owners of 
entertainment facilities to examine their safety practices, fire codes, 
and enforcement capabilities to ensure that such a tragedy never 
befalls any community again.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, 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. 
On that night, medical teams provided the best treatment for the 
injured, many of whom have a long recovery ahead. At Rhode Island 
Hospital--which received 65 fire victims, nearly all at once--an entire 
floor was converted into a burn unit overnight. Surgeons, nurses, 
technicians and other support staff must have been overwhelmed by the 
trauma, but they persevered.
  Rhode Island's new Governor, Don Carcieri has been brilliant in 
managing the State's response to this crisis. Less than 2 months after 
taking office, Governor Carcieri has demonstrated remarkable leadership 
abilities in the aftermath of the fire. His efforts came at a critical 
time and helped ensure that every public official delivered a 
consistent, productive message.
  Whether speaking to all Rhode Islanders at a televised press 
conference or visiting quietly with grieving families, Governor 
Carcieri has emerged as a strong, reassuring presence during a very 
difficult time for Rhode Island. He has expressed our anger at what 
when wrong, and our compassion for the victims and their loved ones.
  Federal agencies also responded immediately to this enormous tragedy. 
I am grateful for all of the assistance that Rhode Island has received 
thus far: from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the 
Department of Health and Human Services, and the Small Business 
Administration.
  My family and I extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families at this 
time of great sadness. I hope they will take some comfort in knowing 
that even with a population of more than 1 million people, Rhode Island 
is small enough that its citizens consider one another as neighbors. 
That sense of closeness--developed over decades of shared experiences, 
both joyful and sorrowful--binds us together and is part of what makes 
Rhode Island unique among the States.
  Those connections are especially strongly felt in small towns and 
villages, such as Potowomut, where my

[[Page S3761]]

family has made its home for many years. Potowomut is a close-knit 
community, somewhat isolated from the rest of the city of Warwick and 
Rhode Island--on a peninsula that juts out into Narragansett Bay. 
Sadly, a fellow Potowomut resident, Tracy King, was among those who 
perished in the fire.
  Tracy was working at the Station nightclub on the night of the fire, 
and as least initially, managed to escape the blaze. Once outside, 
however, he rushed back into the building to help others scramble to 
safety. Tracy was a tall, powerful man--always bursting with energy--
and I am certain that he helped save some lives. I share in the 
heartbreak that all of Tracy's friends feel, knowing that he did not 
make it back out in time.
  In recent years, Tracy had achieved a measure of fame in Rhode 
Island, as he had an unusual talent for balancing large, heavy objects 
on his chin--Christmas trees, ladders, desks--even a refrigerator--all 
balanced perfectly on his chin.
  In 1993, he appeared on ``The Late Show with David Letterman,'' and 
balanced a 17-foot canoe. Imagine that--a 17-foot canoe, straight up in 
the air! Tracy was a wonderful entertainer, and he especially enjoyed 
performing for groups of children. He generously shared his talent at 
local festivals, schools, and hospitals--everyone delighted in seeing 
him in action.
  Tracy King leaves behind his wife, Evelyn, and three sons--Joshua, 
Jacob, and Jordan. I ask my colleagues to remember the King family in 
their prayers.
  We also remember that there are many other families in Rhode Island, 
and across the State line in Massachusetts, that are still coping with 
this sudden, traumatic loss. In the days following the fire, survivors 
and family members of those who had died or been injured gathered 
together to mourn, to ask questions, and to share their stories. May 
they continue to draw strength from one another, and be sustained by 
the enduring support of their community.
  The Senate is considering this concurrent resolution recently 
approved in the House, cosponsored by my colleagues in the Rhode Island 
delegation, expressing the importance of improved fire safety in 
nonresidential buildings in the aftermath of this tragic fire. I urge 
adoption of the resolution.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
concurrent resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, that the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action 
or debate, and that any statements relating to this measure be printed 
in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 85) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.

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