180. Revisiting Episode 85, Station Nightclub Fire 2/20/03 - Jason Erban

20 years later and the scars of February 20, 2003 still remain present in so many lives. This is a replay episode from 2022 in which we sat down with Jason Erban at RagTop Industries and captured his story which included responding to the Station Nightclub fire 20 years ago. A moving and powerful story by someone I truly admire in the fire service. -- Today we sat down for a special interview on location at RagTop Industries with Retired Warwick RI Lieutenant Jason Erben. Jason’s career in Warwick spanned 21 years where he retired as the Lieutenant of Special Hazards 1. We hit on family influence from Jason’s Father being a retired Battalion Chief, PTSD, growing up in the fire service, and the accomplishments of his career. But one event stands out and Jason shares with us the story of a bitterly cold night in February of 2003 when the alarm rang in for the Station Nightclub. February 20th of 2003 would prove to be one of many pivotal fires in Jason’s career and during our time he touches on the superhuman response of that evening, his family's involvement, and why sharing this experience is crucial in keeping the memory of those we lost from this incident alive. Jason recently found himself being called back to the job and has since started a second career with New London Fire (CT), is an instructor with Eckert Fire Tactics, Vector Rescue, and the Rhode Island Fire Academy as a Tech Rescue Instructor. This episode is one you won’t want to miss.