Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 060174
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 171 Chestnut Street, Providence
APPLICANT: C.S.S. Consulting 56 Maple Street Warwick, RI 02888
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Assembly
DATE OF DECISION: 2006-07-21
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on April 18, 2006 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Farrell, Vice Chairman Coutu and Commissioners Blackburn, Newbrook, Preiss, Burlingame, Pearson and Filippi were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Richard Fournier of the Providence Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Blackburn 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 August 26, 2005 inspection report compiled by the Providence Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Providence Fire Marshals Office during the April 18, 2006 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the August 26, 2005 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.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 1 by providing this facility with approved floor proximate exit signs.
	2.  The Board hereby directs the Applicant to correct deficiency 2 by providing this facility with an emergency plan on the premises approved by the Providence Fire Marshal's office.  The Board further notes that the Applicant has advised it that it plans to send representatives to the State Fire Marshal's class in order to address the issues of basic crowd management.
	3-9.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiencies 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
	10.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to submit plans to the Providence Fire Marshal's office for the upgrade of the fire alarm of this facility to a municipally connected fire alarm system.  The Board hereby grants an additional 120 days from the above thirty (30) day deadline in order to allow the Applicant to provide this facility with the required municipally connected fire alarm system, approved by the Providence Fire Marshal's office.
	11.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 11 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Providence Fire Marshal's 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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