PROVIDENCE -- The Amicable Congregational Church in Tiverton is many things: a sanctuary, a place of worship, a space where children can learn about the word of God.
What it was not designed to be is a shelter for the homeless. And yet that's exactly what this church and nine other places of worship hope to become, if state and local shelters run out of room.
The state fire marshal's office has come up with a solution that it hopes will allow the religious community to respond to the crisis of homelessness without sacrificing public safety.
The Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review approved a set of temporary regulations to deal with this new development: churches and synagogues serving as emergency shelters. The guidelines establish minimum safety standards that allow worship houses to shelter the homeless while giving them time to bring their buildings into full compliance with the stringent new fire code, which took effect Jan. 1.
"We're trying to make sure that we're not protecting people from fire by exposing them to ice," said Tom Coffey, executive director of the fire-safety board. "These standards will provide a good level of safety without imposing unnecessary expense."
Officials with the state fire marshal's office inspected more than a dozen potential shelters in November. Using the emergency-shelter regulations as a guideline, the inspectors decided which buildings required little or no modifications to operate as shelters.
Ten churches and synagogues in Providence, Tiverton, Woonsocket and the Newport area were approved for use as emergency shelters.
"In our judgment, these churches were considered safe for this particular use," said William Howe, chief of inspections for the state fire marshal. "The [fire-safety] board left it up to us to make that decision this year."
Churches and synagogues will operate under these interim guidelines until July 1, 2006, when they will be expected to comply with the fire regulations that govern permanent shelters.
For the time being, places of worship must meet a number of standards. They must have smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and two means of escape, including emergency lighting and exit signs. No smoking or cooking will be allowed in any of the shelters. And one responsible adult trained in fire-prevention techniques must maintain a "fire watch" during the hours the shelter is open.
Howe said three or four churches did not meet the standards and were not approved as emergency shelters.
Built in the mid-1700s, Amicable Church has a history of safety, but it is hardly a temple of modernity. The church is spending $35,000 on a variety of fire-safety improvements, including emergency lighting, new fire and smoke alarms and new exit signs.
"We passed inspection because my church has the financial wherewithal to meet safety standards," said pastor Bill Sterrett.
The fire marshal is not asking for wholesale changes. Working with the local fire department, Amicable Church had decided to bring its building up to code long before agreeing to open as a temporary shelter.
"This isn't a question of our being a shelter," Sterrett said. "This is the local fire department saying, 'This paper has to come off the wall,' or, 'You need a special hood for the stove.' "
The Beneficient Congregational Church in downtown Providence has been taking in people almost every night since Labor Day, and yet the building did not pass muster because visitors had to pass through a construction site on their way to the shelter. Based on the fire inspector's recommendations, the church installed emergency lighting and identified a second exit.
The church is now approved to open as a temporary shelter, according to the Rev. Betsy Aldrich Garland. In the meantime, it has continued to shelter homeless adults in a separate building on Chestnut Street.
Temple Emanu-El on the East Side will be the first house of worship to open in the event that the regular shelters can't accommodate the demand. The gym is already hard-wired to an alarm company, and Robert Hill, the synagogue's executive director, said, "We've got everything short of sprinklers."
Still, the fire inspector recommended that the synagogue spray the curtains with fire retardant, add a railing and install additional emergency lighting before it opened as an emergency shelter.
"We are approved to open," said Rabbi Wayne Franklin. "The fire marshal's office is not saying that everything is up to code. They're saying that given the general status of our facility, we are acceptable to welcome guests."
The United Way, working with Amos House, Travelers Aid, the Coalition for the Homeless and Governor Carcieri's office, joined together to develop a more coordinated approach to providing temporary shelter. Amos House will provide the food, while the United Way has established a fund to pay for roving security guards.
