STILLWATER – 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 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.