WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced $61,491,476.88 in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness. This funding will be used for both COVID-19 protective measures and Hurricane Laura recovery.
“Louisiana faced multiple emergencies last year that threatened not only public health but homes, businesses and livelihoods,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This funding helps our state recover from multiple blows of a pandemic and hurricanes.”
The Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness is receiving $53,649,280.89 in funding for utilizing force account materials and contracted services to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office bought personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, cleaning supplies, disinfectants and trailers to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The trailers were used as non-congregate shelters to quarantine patients with COVID-19. The purchased medical supplies were sent to medical facilities and first responders across the state.
The state’s Office of Emergency Preparedness also secured $7,842,195.99 for using contracts with 13 entities to activate the Emergency Operations Center, address communications inquiries with the media, search and rescue by helicopter and aquatic rescues, support technical rescue disciplines such as structural collapse, rope rescue, vehicle extraction, machinery extrication and confined space recovery. Additional tasks performed included search and rescue operations to recover survivors, household pets and service animals, low and high angle rescue and medical support for team members and survivors, and to address Hazmat situations. Debris operations were also conducted to clear, cut and push debris to the side of the road.
###