GSA opens federal contracts to local emergency officials
Under new rule, states and municipalities will be able to order supplies from the Federal Supply Schedule in response to or anticipation of an emergency; 10 million goods and services will eventually be made available, but disaster relief and firefighting equipment will be first
State and municipal emergency officials take note: showing enlightened concern for supply line problems, the General Services Administration (GSA) has decided to permit state and local governments to order products and services from federal contracts in the event (or even in advance of) of major disasters or terrorist acts. “Opening our Federal Supply Schedule means unprecedented delivery speed and best value for state and local agencies directly helping Americans who need it most,” said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan, explaining a recent interim rule change that will make the contracts available by the spring. Although all ten million goods and services on the supply schedule will be made available eventually, GSA contracts for disaster relief, homeland security, and firefighting equipment for wildfires will be the first opened up to non-federal agencies.
-read more in William Welsh’s Washington Technology report
