Several people from the Yakima Fire Department recently retired, leaving the department even more short-staffed. Now the fire department is seeking approval from city council to apply for a three-year federal grant to increase staffing. The SAFER grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would cover part of a firefighter’s salary for the first two or three years and then potentially the whole salary after that. The grant amount has varied over the years based on firefighter salaries within a fire department. A three-year agreement between Yakima and Union Gap fire departments is also being re-negotiated to hire 12 personnel. Union Gap will fund an additional three firefighters over the next three years.