STILLWATER, Okla. – In April, when an overnight tornado tore through the community of Sulphur, Oklahoma, hundreds of people contacted the Oklahoma State University Extension office in Murray County to offer help.
“We were overwhelmed with calls from people all over the country — the phone was ringing every 30 seconds,” said Debbie Sharp, Murray County family and consumer sciences educator.
The Murray County Expo Center buzzed with activity as Sharp, her colleagues, other county employees and hundreds of volunteers attempted to organize the disaster response, manage work assignments, keep up with the inventory of donated goods, and prepare meals for not only storm victims but also emergency response personnel, electrical linemen and other cleanup crews.
The nationwide response to Sulphur ran nonstop for three weeks before residents could catch their breath, but in the chaos of it all, Sharp also communicated with colleagues who offered a sense of calm. The OSU Extension Disaster Assistance Response Team reached out to her with the simple question, “What do you need?”
“They provided federal resources we could tap into on topics such as preventing mold after a disaster,” she said. “We knew they were there should we need them.”
The Disaster Assistance Response Team is a group of OSU Extension specialists and county educators who advocate for emergency preparedness and offer education, resources and ground support to counties during recovery. OSU Extension is a trusted source of information for farmers and ranchers, youth, agribusinesses and community officials. The team plays an important role in keeping communities and Oklahoma agriculture resilient in the wake of tragedy.
“The DART program prepares our county offices to assist agricultural producers in recovery from floods, tornadoes, droughts, wildfires and disease outbreaks,” said Jason Warren, OSU Extension assistant director and state program leader for agriculture, natural resources and community economic development. “We provide information on financial assistance programs, mental health support, animal care and agroecosystem recovery.”
As a member of the Extension Disaster Education Network, OSU is a long-time proponent of land-grant university involvement during times of emergency. When the OSU Extension Educator Advisory Board for Disaster Preparedness and Response established DART in 2020, OSU Extension specialists focused new efforts on training educators, building stronger relationships with emergency agencies and streamlining crisis communications protocols within OSU Agriculture.
Warren said OSU Extension is uniquely suited to support disaster assessment because as a state agency with a presence in all 77 Oklahoma counties, OSU Extension educators are engaged in communities and informed on OSU resources.
Our mission is to train and educate to improve the quality of life for all Oklahomans,” he said. “It’s a natural fit for the agriculture and natural resource program area, family and consumer sciences, health and 4-H youth development.”
When disaster strikes, the DART program swings into action, gathering information from the affected counties and sharing it with designated team members for an efficient, organized response. OSU Extension personnel statewide are mobilized to help victims with short- and long-term needs during an emergency.
“Throughout this year when we’ve had wildfires and tornadoes, I’ve been in communication with OSU Extension’s Amy Hagerman, Jason Warren and our district directors assessing who is involved,” said DART state leader Donna Patterson. “I’m asking who we’ve checked on and if they have damage. We determine what resources are needed and then pull in the appropriate people to help with mental health resources, rebuilding fences, disposing of animal carcasses, safely cleaning up debris, restoring textiles and many other tasks.”
OSU Agriculture’s marketing and communications team is also on standby to manage social media content, design flyers or create other informational materials that help disaster victims recover. OSU Extension educators and specialists man donation sites, cook meals, provide horticulture expertise on damaged trees and volunteer their time in many other ways.
“OSU Extension and its county offices are part of the community – we want to be that resource or organization that can help our citizens and be a team player within the county,” Patterson said.
As the agriculture educator for Rogers County Extension, she has developed a good working relationship with the Rogers County emergency manager, elevating the exposure of OSU Extension programming in the area. Through her involvement in the DART program, Patterson has offered educators disaster preparedness and response training and organized a one-day clinic on large animal handling for an Army Civil Affairs Battalion based in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
“Whether it’s a tornado or an overturned semi on the highway, teaching livestock handling skills to first responders serves our communities,” she said.
DART members keep the lines of communication open, sharing feedback on incident response, facilitating conversations to improve emergency preparedness and supporting Oklahoma producers with innovative, cost-saving strategies.
During severe drought in 2022, Extension personnel proposed reducing the cost of forage, livestock water and nitrate toxicity testing to complement other state and federal drought-relief programs. DART worked with OSU Extension leadership and the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Science’s Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory to reduce testing fees and save Oklahoma agricultural producers more than $17,000 in just three months.
“You’re not in Extension if you don’t want to genuinely help people,” Patterson said. “One of the best ways we can help is by letting people know we care, providing resources and helping them navigate the disaster.”
