As documented in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 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, 42-35-9 and 42-46-3.

	Participating at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Pearson, Thornton, ODonnell and Muto.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Randall Watt of the Little Compton Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Robert Mushen and Raymond Gomes.
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 R. L. Mushen (authorized representative) of Town of Little Compton, PO Box 226 -- 40 Commons, Little Compton, RI dated November 21, 2022.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  2022139 was opened on November 28, 2022.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on February 21, 2023 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 5 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  2022139 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  2022139 dated November 21, 2022 and filed on November 28, 2022.
a.	Attached Plan of Action dated February 14, 2023
2.	Little Compton Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated October 7, 2022.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the February 21, 2023 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 determinations below correspond with those of the October 7, 2022 inspection report compiled by the Little Compton Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Little Compton Fire Marshals Office during the February 21, 2023 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 7, 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 2-story above grade building with a basement level, classified as a multiple/mixed use (business and assembly) occupancy, consisting of approximately six thousand six hundred (6,600) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1881 and enlarged by a 1986 consolidation with an adjacent structure.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction, has a compliant fire alarm system and is not provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
4.	The maximum occupant load of the facility has been calculated at thirty-one (31) persons on the first floor and seventy-three (73) persons on the second floor.
5.	The Board finds that due to the lack of a municipal water source serving the property and site space constraints limiting the availability for the installation of an external water supply, that the installation of an automatic sprinkler system poses an unreasonable hardship.
6.	The Board further finds that the Applicants proposed mitigation plan of upgrading and supplementing the existing facility fire alarm system provides a reasonable degree of life safety against the hazards of fire, explosion and panic in accordance with RILSC section 13.1.1.4.2.
7.	There is no objection by the Little Compton 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.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
2.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
3.	FIRE-RESISTIVE CONSTRUCTION: 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 RIFC section 12.3.3.1 by repairing and sealing all openings and penetrations in the boiler room of this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Little Compton Fire Marshals Office.
4.	EMERGENCY LIGHTING: 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 13.2.9 by developing and submitting a plan of action for the installation of approved emergency lighting in accordance with section 7.9, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Little Compton Fire Marshals Office.  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 Little Compton Fire Marshals Office.
5.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
6.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
7.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
8.	This deficiency/violation has been corrected.
9.	MINIMUM CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS: The Board hereby grants the Applicant a variance from the provisions of RILSC section 13.1.6 by allowing the existing second floor assembly occupancy to remain in use without automatic sprinkler protection.  In consideration of the relief granted herein, the Board directs the Applicant to comply with the following conditions in accordance with the timeframe set forth in  4 above:
a.	An approved fire alarm system installed in accordance with RILSC section 9.6 with total (complete) coverage detection as set forth in RILSC section 9.6.2.9 shall be provided throughout the facility;
b.	Fire alarm system emergency forces notification in accordance with RILSC section 9.6.4.2 shall be provided; and,
c.	The fire alarm system upgrade installed pursuant to this Decision shall be deemed a required system and inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with section 9.6.11.

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 Little Compton Fire Marshals Office, upon receiving a written request, to extend the above timeline(s) for good faith compliance efforts being demonstrated by the Applicant by one (1) or more extensions of time of not more than thirty (30) days each, for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days 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(W)].
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(Y)].  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(Z)].
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(AA)].
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(S)].  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [See: RIGL section 42-35-15(c)].