The Wausau Fire Department has been approved by the City Council to pursue grant funding for nine additional firefighter and paramedic positions through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The money would come from FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program; which is designed to help communities get up to what’s considered standard staffing levels for their size. Chief Bob Barteck says for Wausau that means four personnel per engine or truck. Wausau is currently working with two per vehicle, with the hopes of moving to three per vehicle with the addition of twelve firefighter/paramedic positions. Barteck says the grant funding would amount to $2.7 million over three years if his department can fill all the positions on time. Over that time, the department and city would then work to absorb those salaries as permeate additions to the city budget.