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.: 150109
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 270 River Road, Lincoln, RI
APPLICANT: Attorney Kevin McAllister for Lincoln Public Schools 1624 Lonsdale Avenue Lincoln, RI 02865
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Educational
DATE OF DECISION: 2015-11-19
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on November 3, 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, Thornton and Walker.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Deputy State Fire Marshal Robert Letourneau of the State Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Attorney Kevin McAllister, Armand Milazzo and Maureen Miller.
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 Attorney Kevin McAllister (authorized representative) of Lincoln Public Schools, 1624 Lonsdale Avenue, Lincoln, RI dated October 13, 2015.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  150109 opened on October 14, 2015.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on November 3, 2015 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.
5.	After all evidence was presented at the hearing, a motion was made by Vice-Chairman Blackburn and seconded by Commissioner Pearson to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed on an 8 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  150109 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  150109 dated October 13, 2015 and filed on October 14, 2015.
2.	State Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated September 14, 2015.
3.	State Fire Marshals Office Building Description  406-52 dated September 17, 2015.
4.	Letter of representation from Attorney Kevin J. McAllister dated October 14, 2015.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the November 3, 2015 hearing as exhibits:

1.	Applicants photographs (4).
2.	Applicants cost analysis of compliance requirements.

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 numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of the September 14, 2015 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 November 3, 2015 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the September 14, 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 building is an existing 1-story educational occupancy.
3.	The building is of Type III (000) construction and is not provided with approved sprinkler protection and does not have a compliant fire alarm system.
4.	There is no objection by the State Fire Marshals Office to the granting of the relief outlined herein.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

1.	[15-813-VN]  The Board grants the Applicant a time variance until the start of the 2016-2017 school year to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 15.3.4.4.1 by updating the existing fire alarm system to an approved total (complete) coverage fire alarm system throughout the facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.
2.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 7.1.3.2 by providing all doors accessing the egress hallways of this facility with approved self-closing devices, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's Office.

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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