Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
(401) 889-5551 phone
(401) 889-5279 fax
711 TTY
FIRE SAFETY CODE - BOARD OF APPEAL AND REVIEW
560 Jefferson Boulevard
Suite 202
Warwick, RI 02886
DECISION
FILE NO.: 2022071
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 735 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI
APPLICANT: Rita Claire Tambunting-Robinson c/o Greenville Center NH 735 Putnam Pike Greenville, RI 02828
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Health Care
DATE OF DECISION: 2022-09-21
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review [hereinafter the Board], pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws [RIGL] sections 23-28.3-5 and 42-46-3.

	Participating at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Vice-Chairman Blackburn, Commissioners Pearson, Thornton, ODonnell, Muto and Spaziani.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Deputy State Fire Marshal Richard Matarese of the State Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Rita Claire Robinson and Richard Avery.
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 Rita Claire TambuntingRobinson (authorized representative) of 735 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI dated June 24, 2022.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  2022071 was opened on June 28, 2022.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on August 30, 2022 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.
5.	After consideration of the application, the testimony of the witnesses and of the entire record presented to the Board, and after carefully reviewing such information, a motion was made by Commissioner Thornton and seconded by Commissioner O'Donnell 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  2022071 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  2022071 dated June 24, 2022 and filed on June 28, 2022.
a.	Letter of authorization for Rita Claire TambuntingRobinson from Trevor Kinney dated June 24, 2022.
2.	State Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated March 23, 2022.
3.	Reschedule Notice dated July 21, 2022.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the August 30, 2022 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 23, 2022 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 August 30, 2022 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 23, 2022 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 health care occupancy, consisting of approximately seventy-one thousand three hundred sixty (71,360) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1970.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction, has a compliant fire alarm system with emergency forces notification and is provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
4.	The facility has been licensed by RIDOH for one hundred thirty-one (131) residents.
5.	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, (2018 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, (2018 edition) as incorporated by reference and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-8.

1.	UTILITIES: The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of four (4) months from the date of the decision to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 19.5.1.1 and 9.1.3.3 by providing this facility with an approved interface for monitoring the emergency generator with the fire alarm control unit, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.
2.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
3.	OPENING PROTECTIVES:  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance set forth in  1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 19.2.2.2.1and 7.2.1.4.5.1 by repairing or replacing the courtyard exit doors of this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.
4.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
5.	OPENING PROTECTIVES:  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance set forth in  1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 19.2.2.2.1and 7.2.1.4.5.1 by repairing or replacing the Lily exit door of this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.
6.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
7.	This deficiency/violation 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 State Fire Marshals Office, upon receiving a written request, 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: RIGL section 23-28.3-6 and 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)].
rhode island coat of arms A Rhode Island Government Web site