Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 070371
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 74 Hamlet Avenue, Woonsocket
APPLICANT: Mr. Jeffrey Murray 18 Verdun Street Woonsocket, RI 02895
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2013-02-21
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on November 20, 2012 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook, Vice Chairperson Filippi and Commissioners Dias, Jackson, Sylvester, Burlingame, Blackburn and Richard were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal David Degrange of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.  The Applicant did not appear.  However the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office advised the Board that there were only two (2) items left to be covered in this facility, and that his Office had no objection to a limited time variance requested by the Applicant.  Accordingly, a motion was made by Commissioner Sylvester 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 with those of a February 9, 2007 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 November 20, 2012 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the February 9, 2007 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 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.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 1 by providing this facility with an approved fire alarm system, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
	2.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of forty (40) days from the date of this decision in which to relocate the smoke and CO detection from the bedrooms of this facility to the outside area, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
	3-13.  It is the understanding of the Board that deficiencies 3 through 13 are either not deficient or have been corrected by the Applicant.
	14.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of forty (40) days from the date of this decision in which to provide this facility with approved portable fire extinguishers, installed at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
	15.  It is the understanding of the Board that item 15 is not deficient in 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 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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