DENVER – FEMA has provided $2.6 million in Public Assistance funding to the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services’ (DES) COVID-19 response. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued March 31, 2020. FEMA has provided a total of $38.8 million for Montana’s COVID-19 response to date.
Montana DES received $2.6 million to manage, control and reduce the immediate threat to public health and safety from COVID-19. Temporary medical and emergency response staff were hired to fill gaps at tribal nations, hospitals, and nursing homes, and to assist in the transport of COVID-19 patients to medical facilities. Personal protective equipment and medical supplies were purchased, stored, and distributed to first responders and medical facilities. The work for this project was completed from July 26, 2020, through March 17, 2021.
This funding is authorized under the January 21, 2021, Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense & the Secretary of Homeland Security and Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.
For the COVID-19 response, FEMA has simplified the Public Assistance application and funding process to address the magnitude of this event and to allow local officials to receive eligible funding more quickly. These reimbursements play a critical role as state, local and tribal officials work tirelessly to assist their communities during this response.
Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program can be found at www.fema.gov/assistance/public.