Cleveland Firefighters Sue Over Rule That They Must Live In City

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Firefighters have asked a federal judge to overturn the rule that requires city employees to live in Cleveland.

Firefighters claim that the city charter provision is unfair and applied unevenly, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in U-S District Court by Local 93 of the International Association of Firefighters.

The union said in its lawsuit that a number of city employees have been granted exemptions to the rule quote -- ``without any specified, objective standard, criteria or rationale'' -- end quote.

The residency rule went into effect in 1982. Proponents believe it improves communities, because employees who live in their cities have more at stake. They say the rule also allows safety forces to respond to emergencies faster.