Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 080081
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 1108 Main Street
APPLICANT: Mr. Guido DeFusco 132 Lindley Avenue North Kingstown, RI 02852
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-06-09
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing before a subcommittee of the Board on March 22, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Preiss, Walker and Dias were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals Paul Petrozzi, David Pimental and James Bobola of the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office along with Deputy State Fire Marshal Albert Heroux of the State Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Preiss and seconded by Commissioner Walker to recommend that the Board grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.

The above recommendations were thereupon consolidated with the subcommittee recommendations heard on March 17, 2011 and were presented to the Board on March 29, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Preiss, Pearson, Jasparro, Dias and Walker were present.  A motion to approve the subcommittee recommendations was made by Commissioner Walker and seconded by Commissioner Pearson.  The motion was unanimous.  Accordingly, the subcommittee determination has the status of a full Board decision.

FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of a March 14, 2011 inspection report compiled by the State and West Warwick Fire Marshals Offices.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office during the March 22, 2011 subcommittee hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 14, 2011 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 plans for the installation of an approved fire alarm system and key access box.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional 120 days in order to implement the above plans at the direction and to the satisfaction of the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  Finally, the Board authorizes the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office to extend either or both of the above timelines for good faith efforts being shown by the Applicant.
	2.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 2 by providing this facility with an approved address number.
	3.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 3.
	4-7.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiencies 4, 5, 6 and 7 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office.
	8.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 8.
	9.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 9.
	10.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 10 by providing the remaining furnaces with approved shut off switches.
	11.  The Board hereby directs the Applicant to correct deficiency 11 by providing this facility with approved portable fire extinguishers at the direction and to the satisfaction of the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office.
	12-16.  During the March 22, 2011 subcommittee hearing on this matter, it was determined that deficiencies 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are moot in light of the fact that the Applicant had utilized the fifteen-point plan of action for the correction of deficiencies within this facility.

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 submitting a written appeal of the above subcommittee recommendations to the entire Fire Board for review, pursuant to Board Rule 6-2-9.  The Applicant shall thereupon be scheduled for hearing before the full Board of Appeal & Review.  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this decision (RIGL 42-35-15(c)).
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