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Missoula approves 60‑mile residency rule for city firefighters
Summary
The City Council adopted an ordinance changing the Missoula Fire Department continuous‑residency requirement so firefighters must live either within Missoula city limits or within 60 road miles of any city fire station; council passed the change unanimously after a public hearing.
Missoula City Council on Oct. 6 approved an ordinance amending Missoula Municipal Code section 2.8.03 to require every person employed by the city as a firefighter to reside either within the City of Missoula or within 60 road miles of any City of Missoula fire station, a distance to be measured using Google Maps.
Fire Chief Lonnie Rasch told council the change replaces the department’s prior 45‑minute rule and reduces discretionary decision‑making by the fire chief; he said the proposed 60‑road‑mile standard aligns the fire department with a recently adopted 60‑mile residency requirement for the Missoula Police Department, expands the recruitment area and addresses callback expectations during…
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