FEMA and HHS recently created a Supply Chain Stabilization Task Force to address the limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other critical supplies requested by states, tribes, and territories in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The task force is one of eight COVID-19 focused task forces under the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC). The task force will be using a four-pronged approach to address the sourcing of critical protective and life-saving equipment:
- Preservation to extend the life of PPE and other supplies.
- Acceleration by identifying foreign and domestic suppliers and speeding up deliveries.
- Expansion of current and new manufacturing capabilities.
- Allocation of critical resources to ensure the right quantities of supplies get to the right place.
An example of the task force's "acceleration" work in action is Project Air Bridge which was created to reduce the time it takes for U.S. medical supply distributors to receive personal protective equipment and other critical supplies into the country. FEMA covers the cost to fly supplies into the U.S. from overseas factories, reducing shipment time from weeks to days.
Learn more about the Supply Chain Stabilization Task Force.
ACL is working with partners from across the federal government to help ensure that the needs and concerns of older adults, people with disabilities, and their families and service providers are considered throughout the federal response to COVID-19. For more information and resources visit acl.gov/covid-19.