FEMA provides $7.5 million to Oregon for personal protective equipment

BOTHELL, Wash. (KTVZ) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided over $7.5 million to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for eligible activities related to the COVID-19 response.

The funding was made available under major disaster declaration FEMA-DR-4499-OR, approved on March 28.

FEMA has expedited funding of $7,509,180.04 to assist the state of Oregon in its purchases of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as disposable gowns, masks, face shields, gloves, and sanitizer. This equipment will assist hospitals, medical clinics, city and county governments, and certain private-non-profits across the state.

This obligation is in accordance with section 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Act, under which eligible emergency protective measures taken at the direction or guidance of public health officials to respond to the COVID-19 emergency may be reimbursed under Category B of the agency’s Public Assistance program. Emergency medical care activities eligible under COVID-19 disaster declarations include the purchase of PPE, durable medical equipment, and consumable medical supplies necessary to respond to COVID-19 cases.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides funding for emergency actions undertaken by communities to protect public safety, providing at least a 75 percent funding share for eligible costs not authorized under other Federal statutes. Remaining costs are the responsibility of the state and local applicants for assistance.

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 can play a critical role as state, local, and tribal officials work tirelessly to assist their communities during this response.

For more information on the whole-of-America response to COVID-19, visit www.fema.gov/coronavirus.

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FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.