A hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 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. 
 
In attendance at the hearing were the following: 
COMMISSIONERS: Vice-Chairperson Thornton and Commissioners ODonnell, Muto, Spaziani, Walsh & Mancini. 
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION [AHJ]: State Fire Marshal Ethan Andrews of the Warwick Fire Marshals Office. 
APPELLANT: Timothy Wensus. 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: W. Keith Burlingame, Esq. 
 
TRAVEL OF THE CASE 
 
1.	This is an Application for Appeal submitted 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 submitted by Timothy Wensus (authorized representative) of Jensen Hughes, 117 Metro Center Boulevard  Suite 1002, Warwick, RI dated May 23, 2025. 
3.	The Application was processed by the Board and Appeal  2025071 was filed on May 27, 2025. 
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on July 22, 2025 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 Spaziani and seconded by Commissioner ODonnell to grant the Appellant 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  2025071 and are pertinent to the decision rendered: 
 
1.	Appeal Application  FVA-25-71 submitted on May 23, 2025 and filed on May 27, 2025. 
a.	Attached Plan of Action dated May 23, 2025 
b.	Letter of authorization for Jensen Hughes from Steven D. Gothberg dated May 2, 2025. 
2.	Warwick Fire Marshals Office Plan Review email dated May 19, 2025. 
3.	Appellants [email] request for continuance date June 3, 2025. 
4.	Reschedule Notice dated June 4, 2025. 
5.	Reschedule Notice dated July 8, 2025. 
 
EXHIBITS 
 
The following documents were presented at the July 22, 2025 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 determination below corresponds with the May 23, 2025 plan of action report compiled by the Appellant.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Appellant and the Warwick Fire Marshals Office during the July 22, 2025 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the May 23, 2025 plan of action report as its initial findings of fact.  Any modification of the Boards findings relating to this report, such as correction of a deficiency by the Appellant, shall be noted herein. 
2.	The building is a proposed 2-story above grade building, classified as an educational occupancy, consisting of approximately two hundred four thousand one hundred seventy-two (204,172) square feet (gross area) and currently under construction. 
3.	The building will be of Type I (222) [sic] construction, will have a compliant fire alarm system with emergency forces notification and will be provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system. 
4.	The Board finds through the testimony of the Appellant that due to mandates imposed by the RI Department of Education (RIDE), certain visibility requirements are necessary in those areas where the technical education workshops and laboratories are located; and where 1-hour fire resistance rated separation is also required. 
5.	There is no objection by the 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, (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.	PROTECTION FROM HAZARDS: The Board hereby grants the Appellant an equivalency variance in accordance with RILSC section 1.4 by allowing the utilization of Tyco Model WS and CWS sprinkler heads to achieve the required 1-hour fire resistance rated separations [RILSC section 13.3.2.1(2)(b) and NFPA 45 section 5.3.3] as set forth in their plan of action and design documents. 
 
Any deficiency understood by the Board to have been corrected, which is not so corrected, shall be immediately corrected by the Appellant.  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 Appellants 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 Appellant 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 Appellant 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)].