The Junction City Fire Department has received $26,981.42 as their portion of the federal CARES Act funding. The Fire Department is an ambulance service supplier.
Fire Chief Terry Johnson said the funds represent the Department's portion of the $100 billion in total funding that is available under the Act.
The money is not a loan and is separate from other available relief including the Medicare advance payment program and the small business loan program.
While the money does not have to be repaid, there are some requirements that must be followed by recipients of the funds. They must be used only for COVID-19 related expenses or losses.
The Fire Department will not seek to collect from any possible or actual COVID-19 patient an amount greater than what the patient would have been required to pay if they had been in-network, which applies to all patients, not just medicare or medicaid.
Johnson said the funds are a major help in acquiring the needed supplies to maintain services for the community.