NFIB

In the late hours of the legislative session, there was considerable support for regulatory reform of the state fire code; however, amendments were not enacted in the end. The code Board of Appeals may be asked to adopt many of the reforms which we supported. Please urge your legislators to demand that reforms to the flawed fire code be passed. You can call us at 401-421-8767 if you are interested in receiving information and/or testifying at any Board of Appeals regulatory hearing that may be held to consider fire code regulatory reforms.

We support legislation or a change in regulations that would ease the ineffectual and onerous burdens on countless Rhode Island small businesses created by portions of the fire code. We have always contended that safety is paramount, but the implementation of the fire code went way too far.

The legislation submitted by Rep. Peter Gianitt and Joseph Trillo on behalf of the House Oversight Commission to Study the Ramifications of the Fire Safety Code includes:

1. A tax credit for businesses required to install sprinklers or new fire alarms, retroactive to 2003 but not to be claimed until 2009; a 10 percent credit on the Rhode Island income tax for safety improvements up to $100,000.
2. Potential exemption in property tax valuations, effective for revaluation after 2012 equal to the value of new sprinklers and alarms
3. Relief for "performance theaters"
4. Department of Labor and Training requirement to create a new license to allow pipefitters to install sprinkler systems in buildings up to 10,000 square feet.
5. Authority for the Board of Appeals and Review to approve alternative sprinkler systems to protect limited areas of a building for buildings that lost grandfather protection when the new fire code passed in 2003; not applicable to new construction
6. Additional time to install fire alarm systems
7. A pilot program to provide an option for business to install alarm systems monitored by private security companies
8. Mandatory training session for all local fire inspectors to standardize enforcement in the cities and towns.

We strongly support this reform package as it addresses many of the concerns raised by our members at the commission hearings. Call your legislator and urge them to support reform of the fire code.