Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 080056
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 47 East Killingly Road
APPLICANT: Nancy Ann Nursing Home 47 East Killingly Road Foster, RI 02825
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Health Care
DATE OF DECISION: 2010-01-29
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on January 12, 2010 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Coutu and Commissioners Dias, Jasparro, Preiss, Blackburn and Richard were present.  The fire service was represented by Deputy State Fire Marshal Christopher Moore of the State Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Dias and seconded by Commissioners Jasparro and Richard to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of an April 15, 2009 inspection report compiled by the State Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the State Fire Marshals Office during the January 12, 2010 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the April 15, 2009 inspection report as its initial findings of fact.  Any modification of the Boards findings, such as correction of a deficiency by the Applicant, shall be noted herein. 

Any deficiency understood by the Board to have been corrected, which is not so corrected, shall be immediately corrected by the Applicant.  The term approved, as used herein, is understood to mean in accordance with the specific provisions related to the particular subject as are contained in this Code, or as approved in particular by the State Fire Marshal or his or her designee.

CONCLUSIONS AND VARIANCE REQUESTS 

      1-6.  It is the understanding of the Board that deficiencies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were previously before it and granted structural deficiencies in file 050335.  Accordingly, the Board finds deficiencies 1-6 to be informational in nature.
        7.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to develop and submit a plan of action for the correction of deficiency 7 to the State Fire Marshal's office.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional 120 days in which to implement that plan of action by bringing the fire alarm system within this facility into full compliance and providing that system with an approved municipal connection, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's office.  Finally, the Board shall grant the State Fire Marshal's office the authority to extend the above deadlines for good faith efforts being shown by the Applicant.
	8.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the same time variance as outlined in item 7 above in order to correct deficiency 8 by providing the fire alarm system of this facility with an approved fire alarm drill switch, installed at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's office.
	9.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the same time variance as outlined in item 7 above in order to correct deficiency 9 by providing the sprinkler system with an approved flow switch connected to the fire alarm system at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's office.

STATUS OF DECISION AND APPEAL RIGHTS
	This Decision represents a comprehensive, integrated plan of fire safety for the above-captioned facility under the above-cited use or occupancy.  Accordingly, every variance granted is conditioned upon the Applicants timely and continued compliance with all of the directives of the Board. Every variance granted is further conditioned upon the continued use or occupancy of this facility under the above-cited classification reviewed by the Board.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-17).
	Failure of the Applicant to initially comply with the full Decision of the Board, within the stated time frame, shall void all variances granted herein.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-18.)  In the event of complete, timely and continued compliance with the full Decision of the Board, the above cited variances shall be deemed to have vested in the above-captioned facility.  As long as this facility is in continued compliance with the full Decision of the Board, the above-cited variances shall remain with this facility in the absence of any change in use or occupancy mandating review under a separate classification of the Fire Code or a revision of the above-cited classification.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-19).  
Such changes in use or occupancy of this facility, or failure to continually comply with the Boards Decision shall void all variances granted under the above-cited use or occupancy.  If such change creates a new use or occupancy as outlined in R.I.G.L. 23-28.1-6, all variances granted under the original use or occupancy are void and this facility shall be reviewed under the newly created use or occupancy.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-20).
	The Applicant may appeal the Boards Decision, within thirty (30) days of the mailing date of this Decision, by commencing an action against the State Fire Marshal in the Sixth division of the District Court.  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [R.I.G.L. 42-35-15(c)].
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