Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 080324
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 648 Woonsasquatucket Avenue
APPLICANT: Mr. Benjamin tulli 11 Albert Drive Johnston, RI 02919
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-05-27
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on March 15, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Dias, Filippi, Pearson, Walker, Jasparro, Preiss and Blackburn were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals Gregory Unsworth and John Horan of the North Providence Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Jasparro and seconded by Commissioner Pearson 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 October 24, 2008 inspection report compiled by the North Providence Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the North Providence Fire Marshals Office during the March 15, 2011 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 24 2008 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.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to submit a plan to the North Providence Fire Marshals Office for the correction of deficiency 1 by providing this facility with an approved local fire alarm system.  The Board grants the Applicant an additional 120 days in which to implement that plan of action by installing a local fire alarm system in this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the North Providence Fire Marshals Office.  Finally, the Board notes that the North Providence Fire Marshals Office shall have the authority to extend either or both of the above timelines for good faith efforts being shown by the Applicant.
	2.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the variance outlined in item 1 above in order to provide the areas in which the gas stoves are located in each apartment with approved carbon monoxide detection, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the North Providence Fire Marshals Office.  
	3.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 3 by sealing off the penetrations within the boiler rooms in this facility.
	4.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 4 by providing this facility with an approved key access box, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the North Providence Fire Marshals Office.
	5.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in order to correct deficiency 5 by providing this facility with approved portable fire extinguishers, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the North Providence Fire Marshals Office.
	6 (listed as the second item 5).  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 6 by providing emergency shut-off switches for the boilers within this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the North Providence 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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