Preparing for Rural Emergencies

In a rural part of the South Plains, community members recognized a need for comprehensive safety education for youth participating in agricultural work. The Texas AgriLife Extension program’s, Swisher County Ag Safety Day, was born, covering a range of critical topics, including fire safety, electrical hazards, wildlife awareness, water safety, bicycle safety, medication look- alikes and more.

The program has been around for over 20 years, impacting more than 7,600 youth in Swisher County. For 15 of those years, Deborah Casida, MSN, RN, assistant professor in the TTUHSC School of Nursing and Accelerated BSN site coordinator, has contributed educationally to the program. For 11 of those years, Casida has coordinated TTUHSC nursing students and emergency nurse volunteers to join her.

As a member of the West Texas Panhandle Emergency Nurse Association and an Amarillo RN working in local emergency rooms on weekends, Casida has firsthand knowledge regarding the need for rural health safety for youth in the area — something she feels her students need exposure to as well.

“This gives my students a sense of community,” she says. “They get to listen to these children and learn from them, too; they teach us as much as we teach them.”

In fact, for Casida and some of her students, the impact of Ag Safety Day has come full circle.

“I have students that say, ‘I loved that day, and it’s why I want to be a nurse. I want to make a difference like you did,’” Casida says.

Recently, Casida was recognized for the difference she has made for her fellow young Texans. She was awarded the annual Texans Caring for Texans award for her work with the Ag Safety Day. This award was created to recognize state employees for contributions to their work and the citizens of the Texas High Plains.

Casida, along with the local AgriLife Extension team, Calley Runnels and Jason Wade, won the award for their collaborative work, gathering an estimated 50 to 100 local volunteers, including firefighters, nurses, electricians, and other professionals.

Runnels, the county extension agent for family and community health with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Swisher County, says that without Casida, their team wouldn’t have been able to cover as many topics and teach as many students.

“She’s been a great, great asset for us,” Runnels says. “Without having her willingness to help and bring her students, we just wouldn’t be able to pull it off, period.”

For Casida, a mother to six children and grandmother to 12 grandchildren, her passion and objective is simply stated – “It’s just about going the extra mile to help your community.”