PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh has officially lifted its residency requirement for emergency medical services and paramedics, a decision union leaders believe will help strengthen the department and attract more qualified candidates.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m working in the other side of Pittsburgh or the other side of the state, we’re going to do our jobs,” said Jon Atkinson, president of the Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics Local 1.
Atkinson said the residency requirement, which was added to the city’s home rule charter, was never negotiated with the union and kept quality candidates from applying.
“And the No. 1 reason that I hear is ‘I can’t uproot my family and move from the North Hills or the South Hills into the city of Pittsburgh, buy into the house, move my kids to a different school district, maybe have to take them out of the private or out of a public school and into a private school where I’m going to have to pay tuition,'” Atkinson said.
The rule was challenged by the union, and an Allegheny County judge ultimately sided with it, striking the rule down. Atkinson believes the decision will open new opportunities for the department.
“And, you know, obviously when we expand our residency area, there’s that many more paramedics that are out there who may be interested in applying for a job with the city now that they don’t have to uproot their families and move from the suburbs into the city of Pittsburgh,” he said.
City Officials Respond
City officials said they did not want a lengthy legal battle and believe the change could potentially reduce overtime costs by filling open positions.
“We want the best paramedics, the best firefighters, the best police officers that we can provide to our, our residents wherever they may live,” said Dan Gilman, Pittsburgh mayor’s chief of staff.
They also mentioned discussions about possibly offering incentives for personnel who choose to live in the city.
“Our concern is that when you call 911, we send you the best trained, best paramedic, best firefighter, best police officer to come help you. And I’m confident we do that every day with the great leadership of our chiefs and the great men and women who serve. That is going to continue regardless of where someone chooses to put their head down at night,” said Gilman.
Atkinson said the union is happy with the current parameters, which allow candidates to live within Allegheny County. Whether the union would want to expand to neighboring counties has yet to be discussed.