McKeesport – April 23, 2020 – New federal grant funds to help first-responders secure life-saving personal protection equipment (PPE) and aid them in safely and securely responding to health emergencies will soon be available, state Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) said today.

“We received notification that new federal funding will soon be available to help our first-responders acquire PPE and other supplies,” Brewster said.  “The window to apply for these funds is relatively short so I encourage fire companies, ambulance, EMS and others emergency response organizations to examine information about the program and seek funding if appropriate.”

Brewster said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated it will release more details of the $100 million Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) soon. 

Information specifically about the program will be available at https://www.fema.gov/grants and https://www.grants.gov/.  Additional resources can be found at FEMA’s websites https://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program or https://www.fema.gov

“We must continue to make resources available for our police, fire, and EMS first-responders amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Brewster said.  “More federal and state resources should be made available to protect everyone on the front lines.”

Brewster said the financial assistance will be provided directly to eligible organizations.

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