Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 190070
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 50 Ann Mary Street, Pawtucket, RI
APPLICANT: Youngho Kim 39 Cherry Lane Tiverton, RI 02878
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Day Care Centers
DATE OF DECISION: 2019-06-19
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review [hereinafter the Board], pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws [RIGL] section 23-28.3-5.
	In attendance at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Chairman Newbrook, Vice-Chairman Blackburn and Commissioners Pearson, Booth, Thornton, Davison and ODonnell.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Deputy State Fire Marshals Robbie Lopez and Kaitlyn Iannone of the State Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Youngho Kim.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: W. Keith Burlingame, Esq.

TRAVEL OF THE CASE

1.	This is an Application for Variance filed under RIGL chapter 23-28.3, entitled Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, and the Administrative Regulations promulgated thereunder.
2.	The Application was filed by Youngho Kim (authorized representative) of 39 Cherry Lane, Tiverton, RI dated May 20, 2019.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  190070 was opened on May 21, 2019.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on June 11, 2019 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 Commissioner Thornton and seconded by Commissioner ODonnell to grant the Applicant the relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed on a 7 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  190070 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  190070 dated May 20, 2019 and filed on May 21, 2019.
a.	Letter of authorization for Young Ho Kim from John D. Conforti of OSJ of Providence, LLC dated May 17, 2019 .
2.	State Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated March 4, 2019.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the June 11, 2019 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 Findings of Fact:

1.	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of the March 4, 2019 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 June 11, 2019 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 4, 2019 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 above grade building without a basement level, classified as a multiple/mixed use (appeal limited to a portion of the building classified as day care) occupancy, consisting of approximately eight thousand (8,000) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1990.
3.	The building is of Type II (000) construction, has an approved (with deficiencies) fire alarm system and is provided with an approved (with deficiencies) automatic sprinkler 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

References to NFPA shall mean the National Fire Protection Association; references to the Rhode Island Fire Code [RIFC] shall mean NFPA 1, (2015 edition) as incorporated by reference and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-7; and, references to the Rhode Island Life Safety Code [RILSC] shall mean NFPA 101, (2015 edition) as incorporated by reference and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-8.

1.	CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS: The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of the decision to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 17.3.4.6 by developing and submitting a plan of action for the installation of approved carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional one hundred fifty (150) days in order to implement the above plan of action, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.
2.	This deficiency has been corrected.
3.	This deficiency has been corrected.
4.	EXTINGUISHMENT: The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 17.3.5.1 by providing this facility with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with section 9.7, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's Office.
5.	This deficiency will be corrected with the completion of item  4, above.
6.	This deficiency will be corrected with the completion of item  4, above.
7.	This deficiency has been corrected.
8.	FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 17.3.4.5.1 by providing system smoke detectors in the recreation area of the facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's Office.
9.	This deficiency has been corrected.
10.	This deficiency has been corrected.
11.	This deficiency has been corrected.
12.	This deficiency has been corrected.
13.	This deficiency has been corrected.
14.	FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 17.3.4.1 and 9.6.5.5 by providing a fire alarm system drill switch for the facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshal's Office.
15.	This deficiency has been corrected.

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 constitutes a final order of the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review as set forth in RIGL section 42-35-12 and 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: Fire Safety Code [FSC] section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(V)].
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: FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(W)].  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 FSC or a revision of the above-cited classification.  [See: FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(X)].
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 RIGL section 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:  FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(Y)].
4.	In accordance with RIGL section 23-28.3-5(e), any person who violates a final order of the Board may be subject to prosecution in the District Court with possible imprisonment for a term not exceeding one (1) year, or fined not more than one thousand dollars (1000) for each offense.
5.	In accordance with RIGL section 42-35-12, 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: FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(R)].  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [See: RIGL section 42-35-15(c)].
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