Newly hired Richfield firefighters must live within a response time of no more than 10 minutes from the fire station, according to a new law signed April 1 by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Rep. Linda Slocum (DFL-Richfield), who sponsors the law with Sen. Ken Kelash (DFL-Mpls), said it will help the city respond to budget cuts without compromising public safety. She said the residency requirement is a better alternative to shifting some full-time employees to part-time and paying off-duty personnel to be on call whether they are actually called to an emergency.
The requirement holds for the first 10 years of employment or until the proposed seven-year expiration date. The sunset clause will allow the city to evaluate the measure, Slocum said.
The law is effective April 2, 2010.
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