As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted by Zoom webinar on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 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 and Executive Orders  20-05, 20-25 and 20-34.
	Participating at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Sylvester, Thornton, Davison, ODonnell and Muto.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals Matthew Manni and Joseph Houle of the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Glen Petit and Kurt Stenberg.
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 Brian Petit (owner) of TJP Reality Corp., 107 Hay Street, West Warwick, RI dated [undated].
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  2020007 was opened on February 20, 2020.
4.	The matter was initially before the Board on March 10, 2020 at which time it was reassigned to June 9, 2020 for the Applicant to return with a plan of action.
5.	A hearing on the Application was conducted by Zoom webinar on June 9, 2020 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.
6.	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 6 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  2020007 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  2020007 dated [undated] and filed on February 20, 2020.
2.	Applicants plan of action dated June 1, 2020.
3.	West Warwick Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated January 7, 2020.
4.	Letter of authorization (email) for Glen Petit from Brian Petit dated June 9, 2020.
5.	Reschedule Notice dated  March 19, 2020.
6.	Zoom webinar invitation  91457230976 dated June 3, 2020.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the June 9, 2020 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 January 7, 2020 inspection report compiled by the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office during the June 9, 2020 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the January 7, 2020 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 with a basement level, classified as a industrial occupancy, consisting of approximately twenty-five thousand three hundred ninety-six (25,396) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1960.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction, does not have a compliant fire alarm system and is not provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
4.	The Board finds that based upon the testimony of the Applicant and his consultant that the facility does not meet the conditions to be classified as a high-hazard industrial occupancy [101:40.1.2.1.3] and shall be properly classified as a general industrial occupancy [101:40.1.2.1.1].
5.	There is no objection by the West Warwick 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.	FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: 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 40.3.4.1 by developing and submitting a plan of action for the installation of an approved fire alarm system in accordance with section 9.6 throughout the facility.  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 West Warwick Fire Marshals Office.
2.	EXTINGUISHMENT: The Board finds that due to the classification of the building as a general industrial occupancy, the provisions of section 40.3.2.1 are not applicable and sprinkler protection is not required.
3.	This deficiency has been corrected.
4.	This deficiency has been corrected.
5.	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).

Finally, the Board hereby authorizes the West Warwick Fire Marshals Office to extend the above timeline(s) for good faith compliance efforts being demonstrated by the Applicant in accordance with the provisions of 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(X).

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)].