Vermont Business Magazine FEMA reimbursed the State of Vermont $7,554,501 it spent testing Vermonters for nearly five months during the statewide emergency response to coronavirus.
On behalf of the Vermont Department of Health, the state’s Agency of Human Services contracted with Cambridge, Massachusetts-headquartered CIC Health to work closely with community-based testing sites across the Green Mountain State. The Department of Health is one of six Agency of Human Services’ departments.
Under the department’s direction, CIC Health’s work included overseeing the ordering and shipments of kits, and collection and analyses of specimens. Supplies included swabs, tubes and cryogenic boxes used to ship specimens to labs. Also, CIC Health generated results within 24 hours of specimens being received at labs. Additionally, it offered technical assistance.
Other costs covered those who rode in Vermont Public Transportation Association vehicles to travel to and from testing sites.
FEMA provided funding to Vermont via its Public Assistance Grant Program. This grant reimbursed the Agency of Human Services for eligible costs it submitted from Nov. 2, 2020 through March 24, 2021. FEMA is providing a 100% federal cost share of eligible costs for this Public Assistance project.
“These test kits helped protect the health and safety of many in the State of Vermont,” said Acting Region 1 Administrator and Federal Coordinating Officer Paul Ford, who oversees FEMA’s operations throughout New England. “The state continues to be an all-important partner in our battle against COVID-19.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program reimburses eligible applicants for actions taken in the immediate response to and during recovery from a major disaster. Eligible applicants include states, commonwealths, federally recognized Tribal governments, local governments, certain private non-profit organizations and territories
As of June 23, FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program obligated more than $232 million in 115 projects related to the coronavirus pandemic in Vermont. Additional information about the program is at https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.
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FEMA