As cost of living continues to rise in the Golden state, some first responders have moved to Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Alabama, Florida – even Alaska
“Is it OK if I talk from the car?” asked Kyle Conforti, a 40-year-old firefighter who works at the Orange county fire authority (OCFA) in southern California. There is still some last-minute preparation – suitcases to pack, bills to cancel and goodbyes to say – before the big day. Tomorrow, Conforti, his wife, Roxanne, and their two young kids will begin a 2,000-mile, cross-country drive from San Luis Obispo county to their new home in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee.
In a few weeks, Conforti will arrive back in California to punch in at the same firehouse for another work shift.