Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 050555
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 30 Nooseneck Hill Road, Exeter
APPLICANT: Mr. Robert Ross Exeter/West Greenwich Regional School District 940 Nooseneck Hill Road West Greenwich, RI 02817
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Educational
DATE OF DECISION: 2007-01-26
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on September 26, 2006 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Coutu, Vice Chairman Burlingame and Commissioners Blackburn, Newbrook, Preiss, Pearson, Filippi and OConnell were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Joseph St. Jean of the Exeter Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Newbrook and seconded by Commissioner OConnell 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 March 1, 2005 inspection report compiled by the Exeter Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Exeter Fire Marshals Office during the September 26, 2006 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 1, 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 
	1-43.  During the September 26, 2006 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised and finds that the Applicant has corrected all of the deficiencies listed in the March 1, 2005 inspection report with the exception of the rescue windows and the ongoing upgrade of the fire alarm system.  The Board was further advised and finds that the Applicant now has a radio master box providing direct communication between the school and the fire department.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance until the commencement of the 2007-2008 academic year in September of 2007 in which to correct deficiency 20 by either providing approved rescue windows or interconnected classroom doors and approved smoke compartmentation at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Exeter Fire Marshal's office and to further complete the upgrades of the fire alarm system within 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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