WASHINGTON — The whole-of-America response to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic continue, as Battelle respirator decontamination units arrived in New Jersey Wednesday. Battelle’s technology has the capacity to decontaminate tens of thousands of N-95 respirators, the type of face masks that are most effective in protecting healthcare workers from the COVID-19 virus.
FEMA continues to expedite movement of commercially pre-sourced and commercially procured critical supplies from the global market to medical distributors in various locations across the U.S. through Project Airbridge.
As of April 14, 44 flights have been completed to expedite movement of both private sector distributor-procured supplies (Project Airbridge) and federal government-procured supplies. An additional 50-plus flights are scheduled.
To date, FEMA has obligated $5.5 billion in support of COVID-19 efforts that in last 24 hours includes:
- $21 million to New Jersey
- $4.9 million to Pennsylvania
- $7.5 million to Oregon
- $1.7 million to Washington
Respirator Decon Units Reach Stateside
EDISON, N.J. (April 15, 2020) — FEMA logistics specialists and New Jersey National Guardsmen help unload Battelle decontamination units at the New Jersey Exposition Center, which has been set up as a Field Medical Station in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Battelle’s technology has the capacity to decontaminate tens of thousands of N-95 respirators, the type of face masks that are most effective in protecting healthcare workers from the COVID-19 virus.
FEMA photo by K.C. Wilsey
FEMA Opens 2nd Facility to Support Multiple Disaster Responses
WASHINGTON (April 16, 2020) — FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor tours the temporary space within a Government Services Administration building adjacent to FEMA Headquarters. FEMA has expanded the incident support capacity of its National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) to better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as any upcoming disasters in the months ahead. Teams have been working around the clock to transform rooms and offices into workspaces, arranging for proper distancing between staff members. More than 170 FEMA emergency managers have been identified to provide the NRCC surge capacity.
FEMA photo by Rudy Marshall
FEMA Rep Visits Alternate Care Facility in Boston
BOSTON (April 14, 2020) — FEMA Region 1 Administrator Capt. W. Russell “Russ” Webster, USCG (Ret.) (left center), along with Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson (left), Commanding General U.S. Army North and members of the Massachusetts National Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District, visit the newly stood up Boston Hope Medical Center, a 1,000-bed alternate care facility for patients recovering from the COVID-19 virus. The group met with U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers deployed here as part of an Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force.
FEMA photo by Cheri Rolfes
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