BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $7.6 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of warehousing and distributing medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $7,558,110 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the cost of contracting for warehousing and distributing medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) between March 2020 and July 2021.
The department used an existing contract with Barrett Distribution Centers, Inc. to use its warehouse facilities to receive, store and distribute materials drawn from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), medical assets that are available to states after a declared state of emergency resulting from a public health emergency.
This consisted of approximately 50 tons of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, including refrigerated medical supplies and PPE such as facemasks, gowns, and boot covers, shipped in 130 specially designed containers. Barrett was then responsible for the transportation of supplies from its warehouses to state facilities.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
So far, FEMA has provided more than $1.6 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program is available at https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. To learn more about the COVID-19 response in Massachusetts, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4496
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters