REGION 1 - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated $1.6 million to the Vermont Department of Public Safety to help reimburse eligible expenses the state has incurred as a result of its response to COVID-19.
The grant funds, authorized under a major disaster declaration approved by the President on March 29, 2020 for the entire state will help reimburse the state projected eligible costs associated with the purchase of 80 ventilators,
This grant is funded through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant program which reimburses communities for actions taken in the immediate response and during recovery from a disaster. Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments, and certain private non-profit organizations. The grant applications are submitted from the state, which coordinates the process with local governments.
In total, more than $28.5 million in FEMA funding has been awarded to the state of Vermont through the end of February to help support response efforts associated with COVID-19. This funding includes reimbursement of certain emergency protective measures such as PPE and supplies; money for crisis counseling programs; lost wages payments that extend unemployment benefits for eligible individuals, and costs for the deployment of National Guard members who have been supporting the state’s COVID-19 efforts in a variety of ways.
“We are pleased to provide this significant grant to Vermont to help manage the financial demands associated with providing ventilators during COVID-19,” said Acting Regional Administrator and Federal Coordinating Officer Paul Ford, who oversees FEMA”s operations throughout New England. “The partnership FEMA has with the state allows us to jointly provide assistance throughout Vermont to help lessen the stress of COVID-19.”
Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program can be found at:
https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters