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.: 150095
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 87A Woodville Alton Road, Ashaway, RI
APPLICANT: New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary 87A Woodville Alton Road Ashaway, RI 02804
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Storage Buildings
DATE OF DECISION: 2015-10-21
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on October 6, 2015 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-Chairman Blackburn and Commissioners Booth, Filippi, Jackson, Pearson, Richard and Thornton.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal John F. Woodard, Sr. of the Ashaway Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Karen Windsor, Danika Oriol-Morway and Frank Karpowicz.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: W. Keith Burlingame, Esq.

TRAVEL OF THE CASE

1.	This is an Application for Variance filed under R.I.G.L. 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 Karen Windsor (owner) of New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary, 87A Woodville Alton Road, Ashaway, RI dated August 19, 2015.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  150095 opened on September 2, 2015.
4.	Upon review of the application, it was determined that there was no violation and the matter was dismissed.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  150095 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  150095 dated August 19, 2015 and filed on September 2, 2015.
2.	Ashaway Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated July 17, 2015.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the October 6, 2015 hearing as exhibits:

1.	None.

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 Decision below corresponds with the July 17, 2015 inspection report compiled by the Ashaway Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Ashaway Fire Marshals Office during the October 6, 2015 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the July 17, 2015 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 violation cited requiring automatic sprinklers is found in Table 7.2.2 of NFPA 150, Standard of Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities, 2009 edition.
3.	NFPA 150 is in fact a referenced publication of the Rhode Island Fire Code [NFPA 1, Fire Code, 2012 edition, as reserved and amended] as set forth in Chapter 2 however it shall only be applicable to the extent called for within other chapters of this Code, in accordance with section 2.1(1).
4.	Mandatory compliance with NFPA 150 is found in Fire Code chapter 35, section 35.1 however this chapter has been reserved in its entirety by the amendments in the Rhode Island Fire Code.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

1.	As there is no jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of RIFC chapter 35, the matter is dismissed.

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).

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 6-2-22).
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 6-2-23.)  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 6-2-24).
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 6-2-25).
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.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-18).  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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