Eighteen fire departments and emergency medical service organizations in Westmoreland County will receive personal protective equipment through funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
All told, the FEMA grant or nearly $875,000, coordinated by the Nanty Glo Fire Department in Cambria County, will provide protective gear to 67 first-response agencies in 14 counties in Central and Western Pennsylvania.
With the rise in demand during the covid-19 pandemic, prices have nearly doubled for some of the protective equipment, which is needed to safely treat and transport emergency victims who might be infected with the coronavirus.
The program will pair the FEMA grant, announced Tuesday, with local matching funds to buy thousands of N-95 and surgical masks, face shields, foot covers, medical gowns, hazardous materials coveralls and nitrile examination gloves.