[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4403]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF THE STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE IN RHODE ISLAND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight with great sorrow and a 
heavy heart to honor the victims of last week's horrific night club 
fire at the Station Night Club in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that 
claimed 97 lives and left 187 injured.
  In any community, that tragedy would have been overwhelming; but in a 
small State like Rhode Island, when a close-knit town in the center of 
our State falls victim to one of the worst nightclub fires in the 
Nation's history, the impact is simply incomprehensible. It is said 
that in our world today, only 6 degrees separates each one of us from 
any other person. As our Attorney General remarked, in Rhode Island, 
that distance is more like 1\1/2\ degrees. Everyone here has a 
connection to one of the victims and, indeed, connections are being 
made by people all across New England and the country.
  As Rhode Islanders begin the healing process, I want to express my 
deepest condolences to those friends and family members who lost loved 
ones in this horrible fire. There are no words to adequately express 
our profound sadness. Please know that you are in the thoughts and 
prayers of all Americans, and we will not let the lives of those 97 
sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers, and fathers be forgotten.
  As of this afternoon, 64 people remain hospitalized, 46 of them in 
critical condition. Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in 
offering our prayers for their quick and full recovery. They are 
fighting every hour, and they need our strength now more than ever. Our 
best wishes go out to them and their families as they weather the tough 
days ahead.
  I would also like to express my immense gratitude to the incredible 
and heroic efforts of the multitude of people and agencies throughout 
Rhode Island and Massachusetts who have helped respond to this 
disaster.
  The firefighters, police, and emergency responders who were first on 
the scene made a Herculean effort under unimaginable circumstances, and 
we surely have them to thank that even more lives were not lost. In 
addition, over a dozen hospitals in Rhode Island and Massachusetts have 
been caring for the patients since this tragedy, many of whom have made 
amazing progress. The doctors and nurses and the support staff of these 
hospitals have worked tirelessly to help nearly 200 injured victims, 
and we are grateful for their service.
  As usual, when tragedy strikes Rhode Island, our community has proven 
strong, resilient, and boundlessly generous. I want to recognize the 
work of countless volunteers who have put their own lives on hold to 
offer time, financial resources, and the many other kinds of assistance 
and who helped in any way that they could. Likewise, many members of 
our State's business community have come forward to provide everything 
from food and shelter to transportation to those affected by this 
event. I would particularly like to thank the Red Cross and its scores 
of volunteers and for all that they have done to give comfort and 
assistance to those whose loved ones were lost or injured.
  I would also like to commend the excellent response by Rhode Island's 
elected officials and State and local agencies. Our governor, Governor 
Carcieri, has provided outstanding leadership throughout this tragedy 
and shown extraordinary sensitivity to the families involved, and I 
have personally heard from many of them how much they appreciate his 
efforts. Lieutenant Governor Charles Fogarty and Major General Reginald 
Centracchio, as cochairs of the Management Advisory Council, have also 
played a crucial role in this crisis, and the Rhode Island Emergency 
Management Agency has impressively and effectively coordinated a myriad 
of State and local activities.
  I would also like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Rhode 
Island (Mr. Patrick Kennedy), for his assistance, his friendship, and 
his support over the past several days, and Rhode Island's senior 
Senator, Jack Reed, and Senator Lincoln Chafee for their tremendous 
efforts and leadership.

                              {time}  1930

  Finally, I want to express my great appreciation for the assistance 
of several Federal agencies, including FEMA, Social Security, the Small 
Business Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, 
and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Their involvement has 
been critical, and I look forward to working with them further in the 
days and weeks to come.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, allow me to offer these final thoughts.
  For those that have lost their lives, we can only take comfort that 
they are now in a better place. For those that fight hour to hour, we 
pray for their recovery. For the families and friends who have lost 
loved ones, we offer our shoulders to lean on in their time of need. 
For all Rhode Islanders and our fellow citizens across the country, it 
is our time to provide strength, comfort, and assistance to those who 
need it, and do whatever it takes to ensure that such a tragedy never 
befalls any community such as this again.

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