108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 85
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas, on the night of February 20, 2003, a pyrotechnic
display ignited a massive fire at The Station nightclub in
West Warwick, Rhode Island;
Whereas 99 people have died as a result of the fire and an
additional 186 people were injured in the fire, many of
whom remain hospitalized as of the date of the submis-
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sion of this resolution with life-threatening burns and
other injuries;
Whereas the victims of the fire were residents of Rhode Is-
land, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and several other
States;
Whereas the firefighters, police officers (particularly officers
of the West Warwick Police Department who were the
first to arrive on the scene), and medical personnel who
responded to the fire performed heroically under horrific
circumstances, and they risked their own lives to save
many of the injured;
Whereas, at hospitals in Rhode Island and Massachusetts,
doctors, nurses, hospital staff, mental health profes-
sionals, and other health care workers toiled through the
night and in the following days to care for the injured,
and they continue to provide world-class care to victims
of the fire who remain hospitalized;
Whereas hospital care for victims of the fire was provided at
Rhode Island Hospital, Kent County Hospital, South
County Hospital, Fatima Hospital, Massachusetts Gen-
eral Hospital, Miriam Hospital, Roger Williams Hospital,
Landmark Hospital, University of Massachusetts/Worces-
ter Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Westerly
Hospital, Shriners Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Memo-
rial Hospital, Charlton Hospital, and Newport Hospital;
Whereas the local Red Cross, with 10 paid staff and over 400
dedicated volunteers, has played a critical role in offering
comfort to the families of victims and coordinating serv-
ices;
Whereas State and local officials have responded to the fire
and its aftermath quickly, effectively, and compas-
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sionately, and the people of Rhode Island and the Nation
are grateful for their efforts;
Whereas Governor Donald Carcieri of Rhode Island and West
Warwick Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer have shown ex-
ceptional leadership under trying circumstances and their
sensitivity to the families impacted by the tragedy is
much appreciated; Lt. Governor Charles Fogarty and
Maj. Gen. Reginald Centracchio, as Co-Chairs of the
Emergency Management Advisory Council, have also
played a crucial role in responding to the tragedy; and
the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has
impressively and effectively coordinated a myriad of State
and local activities;
Whereas area funeral directors and medical examiners have
provided outstanding service throughout the tragedy;
Whereas the staff of the local family resource center has
helped the families of victims to access the services and
information they need and provided care and comfort to
hundreds of grieving family members;
Whereas the people of Rhode Island and concerned citizens
across the United States have shown incredible generosity
in response to the tragedy, contributing hundreds of
thousands of dollars to victims’ assistance efforts;
Whereas many local businesses have provided victims and
their families with crucial services from food to transpor-
tation, members of the Rhode Island Bar Association and
Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association have offered free
assistance to victims and their families with immediate
legal issues, and community mental health centers and
mental health professionals have provided critical mental
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health care to victims and their families and other mem-
bers of the community;
Whereas Federal agencies, including the Social Security Ad-
ministration, the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the
Department of Health and Human Services, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Small
Business Administration, have offered assistance and ex-
pertise that has been extremely helpful to the State’s
emergency response to the tragedy;
Whereas the West Warwick fire is only the most recent exam-
ple of how deadly fire can be in nonresidential buildings;
Whereas, in 2001, the last year in which full statistics are
available, 80 people were killed and 1,650 injured in fires
in nonresidential buildings, not including the victims of
the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; and
Whereas, on February 17, 2003, 21 people were killed in a
tragic stampede at the E2 Nightclub in Chicago, Illinois,
and this tragedy and the West Warwick fire, which have
deeply impacted persons throughout the United States,
emphasize the critical need for enhancements in nightclub
and concert hall safety: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) expresses its deepest condolences to the
family members and friends who lost loved ones as
a result of the tragic fire on February 20, 2003, at
The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Is-
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land, and offers its hope for the quick and full recov-
ery of those persons who were injured in the fire;
(2) expresses immense gratitude for the efforts
of countless emergency response personnel, local,
State, and Federal officials, health care providers,
volunteers, businesses, and citizens who have been
part of the response to this tragedy; and
(3) urges State and local officials and the own-
ers of entertainment facilities to examine their safety
practices, fire codes, and enforcement capabilities in
light of this horrific tragedy and to take all nec-
essary action to ensure that such a tragedy never be-
falls any community again.
Passed the House of Representatives March 11,
2003.
Attest:
Clerk.