Source: OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
STRENGTHENING THE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION DISASTER ASSISTANCE RESPONSE TEAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1032537
Grant No.
2024-67019-42738
Cumulative Award Amt.
$131,566.00
Proposal No.
2024-05266
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2024
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2026
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[A1712]- Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
Recipient Organization
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
STILLWATER,OK 74078
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Wildfires can cause widespread damage and are made worse by hot, dry conditions and high winds, conditions often found in the Southern Plains. From February 26th to 28th, 2024, fires in Western Oklahoma destroyed at least 18 homes, 1,180 cattle, 75,000 bales of hay, and 431 miles of fence. OSU Extension has seen some immediate resource gaps, knowledge gaps, and training needed to better support our staff, ranchers, and communities affected by this disaster. These actions will help us respond now and in the future. We are assuring our OSU Extension Educators have the training, tools, and support they need for this recovery. We are creating new factsheets and videos for ranchers affected by the fires, especially those who speak Spanish or are new to ranching. We will make OSU Extension and Oklahoma communities more prepared for future wildfire disasters. The end goal is to help farmers and ranchers, community members, and local economies bounce back stronger after wildfires by improving how we communicate during a recovery, working better with our partners, reducing stress for those affected by the wildfires, and making sure all affected groups feel supported within their communities.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
80760503100100%
Knowledge Area
807 - Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery;

Subject Of Investigation
6050 - Communities, areas, and regions;

Field Of Science
3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to help farmers and ranchers, community members, and local economies bounce back stronger after wildfires. This will be achieved by developing rapid-response education materials targeting new or historically underserved producers, developing a damage assessment framework, and improving Extension office readiness. We will also build response capacity by traveling to a multi-state large animal rescue and holding training, recruiting and training additional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members in currently under-represented areas and better engaging the EDEN network to share outputs from this project to support fire recovery efforts in other extension systems.Objective 1:Develop A Standardized Tool For Collecting Information Needed To Estimate Damages.Objective 2: Assess Educator and Physical Office Readiness Across the StateObjective 3: Rebuild the Western Region DARTObjective 4: Joint Large Animal Handling Training for Texas AgriLife and OSU Extension DART membersObjective 5: County Extension Director (CED) Training for Rapid and EffectiveObjective 6: Rapidly deploy materials for historically underserved audiences in affected counties.Objective 7:Enhance connections with EDEN through using resources, sharing resources, and taking advantage of networking opportunities.
Project Methods
Methods for Objective 1.1In support of the objective todevelop astandardized tool for collecting information needed to estimate damages, we will perform semi-structured interviews to identify damage categories. The damage categories will be compared to the EDEN "Ag Damage Assessment and Economic Loss" approach as a starting point to develop a damage assessment tool and to cross-check for consistency across disaster response nationally. The final damage assessment form will then be piloted with Educators in the Northwestern Oklahoma counties affected by wildfire in 2024 to collect final damages. Timing in the summer of 2024 will be appropriate given recovery should be advanced by that stage. Thepreliminary loss estimates developed in April 2024 will be refined using the final assessment tool and republished as final estimates. The interviews and damage assessments will identify additional loss categories we might not have considered and gaps in current Extension resources online. The finalestimates of loss will be published by September 2024.Methods for Objective 1.2To assess educator and physical office readiness across the State we will develop a survey of Extension county office or Experiment Station personnel readiness and readiness for physical damage mitigation. This will occur in two parts. First, an online survey will be distributed and then followed up by a phone call. Second, the results will be summarized to assign a three-level readiness score to each office or station. Offices and/or stations with the lowest level of readiness scores will be subjected to on-site readiness reviews and customized plans to improve readiness will be developed. The readiness of our system will be summarized for administration to highlight areas of strategic investment that would improve readiness levels across the Extension and Experiment Station system.Methods for Objective 2.1In our effort to build OSU Extension's response capacity, we will work with our Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Advisory Board to identify Educators in the Western District who are well-suited to serve as Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members until 3 positions are filled for the Western DART. Those individuals will take online Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 700, and 800 trainings. We will organize an in-person ICS-300 training for DART members. In the past, we have partnered with USDA APHIS for that training for ICS-300 training, so it has an agriculture focus.Method for Objective 2.2We will participate in ajoint large animal handling training for Texas AgriLife and OSU Extension DART members. Our OSU team will travel to Texas for this co-organized training. We will utilize this training to develop anin-state version of this training for Educators that can be held in conjunction with other training in Oklahoma. We will conduct evaluations for those who participate in the joint training to track effectiveness and make improvements as we develop an in-state large animal handling training.Method for Objective 2.3Our County Extension Directors (CED) will receivea Disaster Response training program delivered at each of the area CED in-service training meetings in the Fall of 2024. During these trainings, thereadiness assessment results will be shared through a summary document, and a high-level summary of ICS-402 "National Incident Management System Overview for Senior Officials" will be provided. EDEN and OSU Extension materials will be shared with CEDs.Method for Objective 3.1In our efforts to enhance equity and inclusion of rapid response educational materials, we will work alongside Educators in affected counties to assess the need for programs targeting producers who may have been affected by wildfire for the first time.We will work alongside efforts in other Extension programs to hire a Spanish interpreter, and key factsheets on land recovery after a fire and on disaster recovery programs will be translated into Spanish. New factsheets will be developed on the following topics: "How to Get a Farm Service Agency Number", "Getting Started with Farm Service Agency for Disaster Program Participation" and "Tax Implications of Disaster Program Payments."Results from action readiness under Objectives 1.1 and 1.2 will be used to identify other factsheets or videos that need to be developed.Adisaster preparedness student intern will workalongside Donna Patterson, DART Leader, on assessing needs, developing materials, and engaging historically underserved audiences.Method for Objective 4.1We will engage and align with National Extension Disaster Education Network Initiatives by first utilizing the EDEN "Ag Damage Assessment and Economic Loss" approach and adapting it to our stakeholder needs. We will travel to the 2025 annual EDEN conference to share lessons learned from the 2024 fires and materials developed through this proposal.Materials from training unique to Oklahoma will be shared through EDEN.

Progress 07/01/24 to 06/30/25

Outputs
Target Audience:OSU Extension's wildfire preparedness and response initiatives in the 2024-2025 reporting period directly impacted emergency managers, agricultural communities, and Extension educators, enhancing preparedness, recovery, and collaboration. Emergency Managers: Strengthening Disaster Coordination A joint preparedness exercise in Texas County clarified Extension's critical role in disaster response. Emergency Managers rely on Extension for preparedness planning, donation center management, and livestock housing. The damage assessment tool deployment in October 2024 exposed gaps in tracking agricultural damages, emphasizing the need for better coordination between Extension educators and emergency officials. We found that emergency managers do not track agricultural damages uniformly across the state, and this is a gap Extension can fill. Professional development for County Extension Directors in January 2025 focused on improved partnerships. As an outcome of that January meeting, multiple CEDs reported strengthening relationships with local Emergency Managers. Agricultural Communities: Bridging Recovery Gaps The Texas County preparedness exercise exposed a shortfall in direct agricultural recovery assistance, leaving some farmers without sufficient support post-disaster from response agencies. Extension's expertise positions it as a leader in filling this gap. Post-wildfire recovery assistance in March 2025 confirmed the importance of standardized damage assessments, though Educator participation needs improvement. New factsheets published in April 2025 now offer practical guidance on wildfire recovery, giving farmers and agricultural stakeholders clearer action plans. Extension Educators: Strengthening Preparedness & Response A County Extension office preparedness survey (Sept 2024 - April 2025) showed that all responding counties had faced a damaging disaster within the past year. Despite this, only 33% of Extension offices had a tornado shelter, underscoring infrastructure gaps. Recovery activities reported by educators included distributing factsheets (43%), answering technical questions (41%), sending newsletters (37%), and managing donations (24%). Extension is addressing these needs by developing additional factsheets and technical checklists for donation center operations. A standardized rapid damage assessment tool deployment in March 2025 underscored the necessity of clearer protocols and compliance measures to improve reporting participation. Overall, OSU Extension continues to refine its disaster response strategy, ensuring rural and agricultural communities receive the preparedness and recovery support they need. By bolstering partnerships and improving resource accessibility, Extension remains a key leader in disaster resilience efforts across Oklahoma. Changes/Problems:The project experienced a delayed start due to slower-than-expected Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, which was granted in September 2024 instead of the projected July 2024. Assessment of data collection was extended to increase participation rates. Data collection was completed in April 2025 instead of October 2024. Planning and scheduling a joint training for large animal evacuation and handling in collaboration with partner agencies has yet to be held due to scheduling conflict What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In September 2024, a joint preparedness exercise was conducted in Texas County involving Emergency Managers and Extension Educators. The exercise underscored that Emergency Managers look to Extension primarily for preparedness and recovery support. Specific roles for Extension identified during this collaboration included managing donation centers, housing displaced livestock, and disseminating emergency information through Extension networks. In the recovery phase, Emergency Managers are generally less engaged, highlighting a significant space where Extension is positioned to lead. Extension's recovery role is especially important in coordination with community-based non-governmental organizations such as the American Red Cross and faith-based groups. In the agricultural recovery context, the exercise identified a notable gap: few organizations offer direct, hands-on recovery assistance apart from locally based businesses. As a result, OSU Extension is uniquely situated to fill critical gaps in disaster response and recovery, particularly in wildfire-affected areas of Northwestern Oklahoma. In agricultural recovery, where few entities provide hands-on assistance, Extension's leadership is especially critical. In January 2025, County Extension Directors participated in a professional development session focused on building community partnerships. The session featured a panel of experienced educators, whose testimonials reinforced the importance of local collaboration during disaster response. The outcomes were powerful, with two CEDs already telling us they have forged stronger relationships with their county Emergency Manager as a result. Two other CEDs have appointed a person in their office to manage disaster response, and those Educators have approached DART for additional training and resources. In January 2025, DART members attended a fire readiness exercise hosted by Mesonet and NOAA. In addition, in April 2025, DART members attended a training that covered (a) reading meteorological data, (b) managing a donation center after a fire, and (c) hearing the preparedness and implementation challenges of a large animal wildfire evacuation hosted by the OSU Animal Science Arena staff. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Two factsheets have been distributed focused on fire recovery. They came out shortly after the March 2025 wildfires, but could also be used after the subsequent tornado and flooding events in Oklahoma. AGEC-281 "Federal Programs for Beef Cattle Producer Wildfire Recovery" AGEC-280 "Getting Started with the Farm Service Agency" What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, we will: Present results of wildfire preparedness efforts at the National Association of County Agricultrue Agents annual meeting in Billings, MT. Present results of the disaster readiness assessment to OSU Extension and OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources leadership. Complete the joint large animal handling training. Complete a hot wash and mental health checkin with those counties that experienced a weather disaster in spring 2025. Complete ICS training for the Western DART Develop additional factsheets that can then be shared via EDEN. Submit an abstract for the 2025 EDEN conference.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1 Improve Extension Preparedness and Fire Response Capacity Through A Damage Assessment Framework and Office Readiness Assessments Objective 1 - A standardized tool for collecting information needed to estimate damages was developed, piloted, and finalized. Hired a project manager in June 2024 Hired an undergraduate student in August 2024 Developed and implemented a standardized tool for wildfire damage data collection. Pilot form successfully used during November 2024 tornadoes and wildfires. DART (Disaster Assessment and Response Team) deployed to complete fire damage assessments in March 2025. During the March 2025 wildfires, no additional categories were identified for the assessment form. The damage assessment is posted on our intranet page. The form in a pdf version is attached to this report. Follow up - A hot wash of those who experienced fires in 2024 and 2025 will be completed under the requested No Cost Extension. Objective 2 - A survey assessment of county office or experiment station readiness for response was developed and implemented. This included personnel readiness and county office or experiment station readiness. Survey tools were developed, cleared by IRB, and launched during Disaster Preparedness Month in September 2024 The first follow-up email was sent in mid-October 2024 Phone calls were made to non-responsive counties and field research units in November/December 2024. An in-person reminder was made during the January 2025 County Extension Director's Conference Achieved a 60% response rate from Extension offices and 67% of Field Research Units. Follow up - A customized summary of results to assign a three-level readiness score to each office or station will be completed under the requested No Cost Extension. Data collection did not complete until April 2025. For offices and/or stations with the lowest level of readiness scores, on-site readiness reviews will be performed. Results will be summarized for administration to highlight areas of strategic investment that would improve readiness levels across the Extension and Experiment Station system. Goal 2: Build OSU Extension Response Capacity Objective 3 - Rebuild the Western DART Three new team members identified for the Western DART. A fire preparedness exercise was held by NOAA and Mesonet in January 2025 that all new DART members attended. Training and onboarding occurred in April 2025; however, the individuals had already participated in a January fire preparedness meeting with state Emergency Managers and aided in damage assessment in March 2025. Follow up - New DART members have started ICS online training. We prioritized wildfire damage assessment training over the in-person ICS training in this reporting period but will continue with additional ICS training under the requested No Cost Extension. Objective 4 - Large Animal Handling Training No activities to report Follow up - Due to scheduling difficulties and ongoing disaster response in Texas and Oklahoma (tornados, fires, and now floods) this training has been delayed several times. Objective 5 - We created a 1-hour CED Disaster Response training program. The panel presentation was conducted at the January 2025 Cooperative Extension Director meeting to promote disaster readiness. Several CEDs reported productive conversations within their office or with their Emergency Manager as a result, and CEDs have requested additional resources under development. Objective 6 - Rapidly deploy materials to vulnerable audiences. DART members, including new Western District DART members, provided a series of needs and lessons learned from those who have experienced a fire disaster. Areas identified were (1) how to reasonably distribute limited donations among those in need (2) how to prevent fraud and assure the donations go to those who actually need them (3) how to mentally/emotionally manage intense, demanding periods of activity and (4) how to work with other agencies for effective recovery. The January 2025 CED panel invited information from the CEDs on their needs after wildfire. The primary recommendations were (1) donation center management guidelines and accompanying forms (2) developing relationships with Emergency Managers (3) training that can be taken ahead of time. New factsheets were developed on (Factsheet AGEC-281) "Federal Programs for Beef Cattle Producer Wildfire Recovery" and (Factsheet AGEC-280) "Getting Started with the Farm Service Agency" Follow up - Additional factsheets in development are. Tax Implications of Disaster Program Payments Managing an Agricultural Donation Center After a Disaster Managing a Household Donation Center After a Disaster Are You Ready? Preparing for a Disaster Goal 4 - Engage and Align with National Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Initiatives Objective 7 - Enhanced connections with EDEN through using resources, sharing resources, and taking advantage of networking opportunities. We engaged through the EDEN network during March 2025 wildfires, reporting damage through their system. We also received offers of aid during that fire event. An abstract has been accepted to the June 2025, National Association of County Agriculture Agents Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Billings, MT. EDEN has invited states to review existing materials and submit new materials. We are particularly interested in submitting guidelines on managing donation centers.

Publications