Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 120066
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 390 Joslin Road
APPLICANT: Mr. James N. Tetrault P.O. Box 319 Chepachet, RI 02814
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2012-12-12
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on July 31, 2012 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Acting Chairperson Filippi and Commissioners Dias, Walker, Jackson, Sylvester, Burlingame and Blackburn were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Shane Mansolf of the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Walker and seconded by Commissioner Blackburn 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 a May 10, 2012 report compiled by the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals Office. The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals Office during the July 31, 2012 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the May 10, 2012 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 Authority Having Jurisdiction (State Fire Marshal, his or her designated Deputy State Fire Marshals and/or Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals).

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 of action to the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals office for the correction of deficiency 1 by providing this facility with a local fire alarm system.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional 150 days in which to implement the above plan of action at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals office.  Finally, the Board hereby authorizes the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals office the authority to extend either or both of the above deadlines for good faith efforts being demonstrated 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 key box.
3.  The Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of sections 31.2 and 7.2.1.4.3 in order to allow the Applicant to maintain the existing swing of the cited main egress door of this facility.  In granting this variance, it is the understanding of the Board that the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals office has no objection.
4.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 4 by replacing the cited apartment doors with approved doors at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Harrisville Fire District Fire Marshals office.
	5.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 5 by providing this facility with approved emergency lighting installed at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Harrisville Fire District 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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