Mystic Fire Department Awarded Federal CARES Act Funding to Support PPE Purchases, Courtney Announces | Congressman Joe Courtney
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Mystic Fire Department Awarded Federal CARES Act Funding to Support PPE Purchases, Courtney Announces

August 6, 2020

NORWICH, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will award a federal grant totaling $2,668 to the Mystic Fire Department. The new federal funding was authorized under the bipartisan CARES Act (H.R. 748), which Rep. Courtney voted to pass on March 27th, and will support the fire department's purchase of emergency medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) other supplies as they work to respond to COVID-19 incidents.

"Congratulations to Chief Hilbert, Lauren Kellogg, and all of the men and women at the Mystic Fire Department for the award of this urgently needed funding," said Congressman Courtney. "Our firefighters are so often called on to be first responders to a myriad of situations, and they've stepped up to the plate to help our towns through this pandemic. They need this PPE equipment to do their work safely, and with the revenue shortfalls our towns are up against this type of federal assistance is more important than ever. Connecticut has done a good job reducing COVID-19 infections, and we should be using this time to focus efforts on stockpile PPE for first responders in case a new spike in cases ever occurs. This grant will help ensure that last spring's frantic search for masks, gowns, and cleaning materials won't happen again."

"We had significant expenses in gearing up for PPE for fire department members to use in our initial response to COVID-19, and in our ongoing efforts," said Mystic Fire Department Chief Frank Hilbert. "This grant funding helps bolster our purchase of that important equipment, and we intend to purchase more PPE so we're well stocked moving forward. We're pleased to receive this amount money, and we'll apply for additional funding going forward."

The Mystic Fire Department will receive a grant award of $2,668 through FEMA's new Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which was authorized under the CARES Act. The new program is meant to assist fire departments and emergency medical service (EMS) personnel in purchasing emergency medical PPE, disinfection and decontamination supplies, and other equipment used in their response to COVID-19 incidents. To read more about the new, congressionally authorized program, click here.

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