Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 060880A
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 2 Cherrydale Court, Pastore Complex Building 43, Cranston, RI
APPLICANT: Mr. Marco Schiappa Department of Administration One Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02903
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Business
DATE OF DECISION: 2009-08-05
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on March 31, 2009 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Coutu, Vice Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Dias, Filippi, Pearson, Walker, Jasparro, Richard, Preiss and Jackson were present.  The fire service was represented by Deputy State Fire Marshals Christine Kent and Octavio Vieira of the State Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Vice Chairman Newbrook and seconded by Commissioners Jasparro and 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 an October 30, 2008 inspection report compiled by the State Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the State Fire Marshals Office during the March 31, 2009 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 30, 2008 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, shall be understood to mean in accordance with the specific provisions related to the particular subject as are contained in the State Fire Code, or as approved in particular by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (the 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 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's office.
	2.  The Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of section 7.2.2.5 and its referenced standards in order to allow the Applicant to maintain the existing unenclosed stairs from the second floor leading to the first floor exit of this facility.  In granting this variance, the Board directs the Applicant to provide this area with approved domestically supplied sprinkler heads and to further treat the doors with flame resistant paint on both sides and to further provide the doors leading into this area with approved closers, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's office.  Finally, in granting this relief, the Board notes that this facility shall be equipped with an approved fire alarm system with local smoke and CO detection.
	3.  The Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of section 39.2.4 and its referenced standards in order to allow the Applicant to maintain the existing egress within this facility in accordance with the plan outlined in item 2 above.
	4.  During the March 31, 2009 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that the fire alarm system of this facility had been installed.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a period of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision to provide the State Fire Marshal's office with a status report on the above alarm system and an additional sixty (60) days in which to make any upgrades deemed necessary by the State Fire Marshal's office to the local fire alarm system within this facility.
	5-7.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiencies 5, 6 and 7 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State 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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