Pittsburgh firefighters are no longer required to live within city limits, but they will have to live nearby.

The city reached a settlement with firefighters Monday to eliminate the longstanding requirement that firefighters live within the city, said Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey.

The agreement stipulates that firefighters must still live within a 60-minute drive of Pittsburgh, she said.

“We firmly believe folks who serve the city can best serve the city if they live here in our neighborhoods, our communities,” Montaño said. “We truly hope the firefighters will continue to choose to live in our beautiful city.”

This comes after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2017 struck down a century-old residency requirement for Pittsburgh police. Police officers were instead permitted to live up to 25 air miles from the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh.

A spokesperson with the city’s Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the policy change for firefighters.

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