§ 23-28.6-5 - Admissions restricted and supervised. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 23-28.6-5

   § 23-28.6-5  Admissions restricted andsupervised. – (a) Admissions to all places of assembly shall be supervised by the responsiblemanagement or by the person or persons delegated with the responsibility by themanagement, and the responsible person shall not allow admissions in excess ofthe maximum occupancy as provided in § 23-28.6-3, provided, subsections(c), (d), and (e) below do not apply to churches and places of worship, whereinpatrons retain their outer clothing for immediate exit, and where they areconfined for a period not exceeding two (2) hours duration. Only those portionsof a building used exclusively for religious worship are included in thisexception.

   (b) The maximum occupancy of all areas shall be conspicuouslyposted by means of a sign furnished by the state fire marshal's office.

   (c) All places of assembly with an occupancy load of greaterthan one thousand (1,000) people shall have one uniformed fire fighter, and anyadditional uniformed fire fighters on duty when deemed necessary by the chiefof the local fire department or the designee of the state fire marshal in thelocal fire department except as provided under subsection (f) of this section.

   (d) All places of assembly, with an occupancy load of greaterthan three hundred (300) up to one thousand (1,000) people, of lessconcentrated use shall have a uniformed fire fighter and any additionaluniformed fire fighters on duty when deemed necessary by the chief of the localfire department or the designee of the state fire marshal in the local firedepartment.

   (e) All places of assembly with occupancy loads of fifty (50)up to one thousand (1,000) people of concentrated use shall have one uniformedfire fighter on duty when deemed necessary by the chief of the local firedepartment or the designee of the state fire marshal in the local firedepartment.

   (f) On an event-by-event basis, in the absence of an unusualhazard, the chief of the local fire department or the designee of the statefire marshal in the local fire department may waive, in writing, the firefighter on duty requirement of subsections (c) and (e) when the actualoccupancy of a building for a specific event is substantially lower than thecalculated occupancy of the building.

   (g) All places of assembly with occupancy loads of fifty (50)up to one thousand (1,000) people of concentrated or less concentrated usebeing utilized for activities of unusual hazard shall have one uniformed firefighter on duty during such activity, and any additional uniformed firefighters on duty when deemed necessary by the chief of the local firedepartment or the designee of the state fire marshal in the local firedepartment unless this requirement is specifically waived in writing for eachsuch event.

   (h) The cost of all fire fighters on duty under subsections(c) through (f) of this section shall be borne by the management of thefacility.

   (i) The above assigned fire fighter(s) shall be equipped withportable communication devices which shall be provided for by the local firedepartment to allow direct communication to the dispatcher of the local firedepartment.

   (j) Any person violating the provisions of this section shallbe fined not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each offense.

   (k) The provisions of § 23-28.2-17 shall apply to anyfire fighter assigned to a place of assembly pursuant to this section.