Amata Highlights Saelua Medical Corporation’s Emergency Response and Safety Project

October 29, 2026 Press Release GRANT Applicant/Awardee: Saelua Medical Corp. Amount: $170,000 Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Project: Emergency aid and safety training for 250 people. Pago Pago – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting a preparedness grant for Saelua Medical Corporation (SMC), and congratulating their efforts, first in earning the grant and on the merits of the project itself that will improve the safety of 250 people over the next year in MSHA-regulated operations including the quarry. Saelua Medical Corp. is a 5O1(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, that successfully applied for a Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grant from the United States Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Notably, this is the largest of just two Brookfield-Sago federal grants awarded in the nation this year. “This is a wonderful job by Saelua Medical Corporation, especially as these rare grants only go to a handful of projects, and usually in conjunction with major U.S. universities each year,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “Thank you to SMC Board President Josephine Saelua Bernhardt, and all the dedicated personnel that will take part in this important training to protect our people, whether instructing or learning.” Official notification of SMC’s Quarry Response, Emergency Aid, CPR & Trauma Training (Q-REACT) Mine Grant 2026 award of $170,000 was sent on Monday, Oct. 26, by the U.S. Labor Department. This federal grant program was established under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act in 2006, funded since by Congress through the ongoing yearly appropriations bills for the Department of Labor. “This award recognizes the capability and commitment of SMC to improve emergency preparedness and mine safety training within American Samoa's quarry and related workforce. Through the Q-REACT program, SMC will provide lifesaving instruction focused on emergency response, First Aid, CPR, AED use, and trauma care for eligible quarry operators, contractors, and prospective workers throughout the Territory,” said Josephine Saelua Bernhardt, Board President of the Saelua Medical Corporation.  “As a nonprofit healthcare organization dedicated to serving the people of American Samoa, SMC is deeply grateful for the confidence that MSHA and the U.S. Department of Labor have placed in our organization. This federal investment will enable us to expand access to high-quality safety education and ensure that workers are better prepared to respond during the critical first minutes of workplace emergencies.” The program is designed to serve approximately 250 participants through a series of training events that will strengthen workplace safety, emergency response capabilities, and injury prevention efforts across American Samoa. The project further supports the development of local instructors, helping build long-term capacity and sustainability for occupational safety training within our community. In awarding the grants, MSHA focused on innovative plans for mine safety and pilot programs that may be useful for miners working in a broad range of positions. The grants also put an emphasis on programs and materials targeting workers in smaller mines that train mine operators and miners about MSHA standards, and emergency response training. Through the program, MSHA funds training materials, mine safety training, and educational programs to protect safety and health. The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling in September. ### Issues : Public Safety