Hidalgo County offering free generators for residents with medical equipment
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Hidalgo County officials want to help residents who use life-saving devices make sure their lights stay on this winter.
A new program called Power Up Generator is designed for low income families that have someone living at home who's dependent on life-sustaining equipment.
Hidalgo County Community Service Agency Executive Director Jaime Longoria says the program provides free generators to make sure the medical equipment continue operating.
"In the Valley, we go from extreme heat and the grid can go offline at any time, or extreme cold, knowing that the grid can go off any time as well," Longoria said. "For those people that have to remain connected to the power grid and the statute is very specific. It talks about people who are on ventilators, people who are on oxygen concentrators, people who are on at-home kidney dialysis, or people who are on heart monitors."
Longoria says they worked with non-profits in the county to help identify 10 families to get the program started.
In order for families to qualify for the generators, they have to provide a statement saying they have someone at home using a medical machine, Longoria said.
Longoria says people who have sleep apnea and use CPAP machines or other medical equipment plugged in only during the night do not qualify.
"Now keep in mind there's also income guidelines. So, people have to be living under 150 percent of the federal poverty level. That's for instance, a family of four making less than $45,000 a year, [they] would qualify for our program," Longoria said.
He said the generators have a carbon monoxide monitor. So before families receive them, they'll go through a safety training to learn about carbon monoxide safety, fire hazard safety and electricity safety.
Longoria said they still have 40 generators to give out, but will order more if needed.
For more information on the Power Up Generator program, visit the Community Service Agency in Edinburg, located at 2524 North Closner Blvd., or call their office at 956-383-6240.
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