The Stafford County Board of Supervisors has approved the use of funds obtained from the American Rescue Act, the latest round of federal stimulus money, to pay a consulting firm on how to better prepare for disasters such as the coronavirus pandemic in the future.

The county will pay $80,208 to IEM, an emergency management firm based in Morrisville, N.C. According to its website, IEM works with government entities and private sector organizations around the world to improve disaster preparedness. Their company's areas of focus are in response and recovery, homeland security and defense, public health, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure.

The County's approval of the use of these funds to pay IEM was also an official acceptance of the funds which will be received in two separate portions for a grand total of $28.7 million. The first portion was received in May 2021 totaling $14.9 million from which the payment to IEM will come.

Stafford County Public Schools are also expecting to receive $14.9 million with the stipulation that 20% of that total be used to address the extended gaps in student's education due to the closing down of schools due to the pandemic.

The County has also set aside a total of $1,7 million which is to be used for one-time and pandemic supported projects.

The second portion of the ARPA funding which would be a sum of $13.8 million is expected to be received by Stafford County sometime later this year.

Stafford County has lost 82 residents to the coronavirus, while neighbors Prince Willaim and Spostylvanaia lost 501 and 124 people, respectively.