Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 100228
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 18 Nicolas Lane
APPLICANT: OSCR, Inc. 310 Maple Avenue 102 Barrington, RI 02806
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Boarding Homes
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-02-10
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on October 26, 2010 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Acting Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Blackburn, Walker, Richard, Jasparro and Dias were present.  The fire service was represented by Deputy State Fire Marshals Paul Manning and Michael Macaruso of the State Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Dias and seconded by Commissioner Richard to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.

FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond in sequence with those of an October 20, 2010 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 October 26, 2010 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 20, 2010 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.  During the October 26, 2010 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that the Applicant would be correcting all of the deficiencies outlined on the October 20, 2010 inspection report.  In addition, the Applicant requested a variance with regard to the exterior horn strobe in order to be allowed to maintain the strobe only during all drills, with the horn only being brought into use during an actual activation of the fire alarm system.  The Board hereby grants the Applicants request in order to allow drills to be maintained on a strobe-only basis with the horn to be activated with the actual activation of the fire alarm system of this facility.  Additionally, the Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to submit plans to the State Fire Marshals Office for the correction of deficiencies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional 150 days to implement the above plans at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals 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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