More than 1,000 companies responded to FEMA's call for coronavirus supplies, but so far only 3 could actually help

(Image credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

last updated 7 April 2020

The Federal Emergency Management Agency got a lot of hits on its call for companies to provide supplies for the novel COVID-19 coronavirus response, but very few have resulted in any success, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A person familiar with the situation told the Journal that more than 1,000 companies originally responded to the request, but as of early Monday, only three unknown companies actually had supplies FEMA could buy. A lot of the offers — for things like protective medical gear, body bags, and tests — fell short because the vendors wanted FEMA to provide payment upfront, which the agency can't do. Others reportedly simply oversold their stock. The source said many phone calls with potential suppliers transitioned from something along the lines of "I've got" to "I can find" in a matter of days.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

The pandemic response has been a unique challenge for FEMA, which usually operates in response to localized disasters like hurricanes and wildfires, but the agency has had some unsavory dealings over supply procurement before, the Journal reports. Craig Fugate, who headed the agency under the Obama administration, said during previous disasters some companies proved to be "absolute rip-off" artists, which, he explained, is just how it works when you put out sweeping proposals. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

Explore More

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox