Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
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FIRE SAFETY CODE - BOARD OF APPEAL AND REVIEW
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DECISION
FILE NO.: 140059
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 133 Brook Street
APPLICANT: Miguel & Deborah Gonsalves 2160 Broncos Highway Harrisville, RI 02830
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2014-06-18
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on June 10, 2014 before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, pursuant to RI General Laws Section 23-28.3-5.
	In attendance at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Chairman Newbrook, Vice-Chairperson Filippi and Commissioners Blackburn, Booth, Burlingame, Jackson, Pearson, Sylvester, Thornton and Walker.
Department of Administration Deputy Chief Legal Counsel Peter N. Dennehy.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal David Degrange of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Miguel & Deborah Gonsalves.
TRAVEL OF THE CASE

1.	This is an Application for Variance filed under Chapter 23-28.3, entitled the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, and the Administrative Regulations promulgated thereunder.
2.	The Application was filed by Miguel Gonsalves (owner) of 2160 Broncos Highway, Harrisville, RI dated May 7, 2014.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  140059 opened on May 19, 2014.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on June 10, 2104 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.
5.	After all evidence was presented at the hearing, a motion was made by Commissioner Thornton and seconded by Commissioner Jackson to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed on a 10 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  140059 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  140059 dated May 7, 2014 and filed on May 19, 2014.
2.	Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report  133 Brook St. dated March 20, 2014.
3.	Letter sent by ADSFM Scott Popovich of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office to property owner dated April 21, 2014.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the June 10, 2014 hearing as exhibits:

1.	Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office revised Inspection Report  133 Brook St. dated March 20, 2014.

FINDINGS OF FACT

	Based on the testimony and evidence introduced at the hearing and a review of the administrative file, the Board makes the following Finding of Fact:

1.	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of the March 20, 2014 revised inspection report compiled by the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office during the June 10, 2014 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 20, 2014 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.
2.	The building is an existing 3-story apartment occupancy with six (6) units.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction and is not provided with sprinkler protection and does not have a compliant fire alarm system.
4.	The building is currently protected by battery-operated smoke alarms and CO detectors.
5.	There is no objection by the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office to the granting of the relief outlined herein.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

1.	The Board grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of the decision to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 31.1.1.1(2) and 31.3.4.4.1by developing and submitting a plan of action for the installation of an approved fire alarm system within this facility.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional one hundred fifty (150) days in order to implement the above plan of action, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
2.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.4.6.1 by installing approved carbon monoxide detectors in accordance with sections 9.8 and 31.3.4.6, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
3.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.4.5.1 by installing approved smoke alarms detectors in accordance with section 9.6.2.10, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
4.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RIFC section 18.2.2.1 by installing an approved key access box, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
5.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.2.1.1 by installing domestically-supplied sprinkler heads to protect the basement laundry/storage/furnace area, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
6.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 7.1.3.2.1(1) by providing a 1-hour fire resistance rating to the stairway walls, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.  The Board further grants the Applicant the option of verifying the construction behind the wainscoting and allowing the existing conditions to be deemed equivalent if it is determined that the construction is lath and plaster  this condition is subject to the approval of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
7.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 7.2.2.5 and 31.2 by verifying that all doors in the egress system are a minimum of 1-3/4 solid-bonded wood-core doors.  The Board further directs that any door in the egress system that is less than 1-3/4 thickness may remain in use provided that it is a solid core door and is treated with an approved Class A flame-spread rated material (intumescent paint) on the hallway side, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.

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).

Finally, the Board hereby authorizes the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office to extend the above timeline for good faith efforts being demonstrated by the applicant.

STATUS OF DECISION AND APPEAL RIGHTS

1.	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).
2.	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).
3.	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).
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4.	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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