Los Angeles City Fire Department firefighters who commute thousands of miles to work each month could be forced to relocate to Southern California if a residency requirement is imposed in order to keep emergency personnel closer to the city in the event of a major disaster.
A report prepared for the Board of Fire Commissioners showed 115 firefighters currently live out of state, including 36 about 1200 miles away in Idaho, 10 about 2000 miles away in Tennessee, 11 about 1300 miles away in Texas, and 15 more than 600 miles away in Utah.
One firefighter commutes from Alaska ZIP code 99603, 3,617 miles away, or an estimated four-day drive in the event of a major emergency. Another lives in Florida ZIP code 33914, or 2,645 miles away.
Only 499, or about 15-percent of the workforce, lives within city limits, according to the analysis.