BOSTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $1.6 million to the State of Rhode Island to reimburse the state for the cost of purchasing, warehousing and distributing materials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $1,573,283 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) for purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks, nitrile gloves, and surgical masks between February and June 2022.
RIEMA also purchased warehouse supplies such as tie down straps, ticket holders, shelving for supplies, cleaning supplies, coolers, cups, water, and tents, and rented tents, box trucks with lift gates, and forklifts.
The agency contracted for warehouse staffing for receiving and processing orders, managing and rotating inventory, loading and shipping product, as well as information technology resources and equipment for managing operations.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the State of Rhode Island with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic fight is critical to their success, and to 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.
This grant brings the total awarded by FEMA to the State of Rhode Island to almost $793 million to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency