The Office of the Governor of the State of Oklahoma
07/17/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Governor Stitt Sends Additional Rescue Teams to Assist Texas
OKLAHOMA CITY (July 17, 2026) - Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) announced Friday that Oklahoma has sent five additional Type III swift water rescue teams to Texas to assist with ongoing flood response.
The teams include 43 personnel from across agencies Oklahoma, along with 10 boats, trailers, and other equipment. They will be working in areas of Texas severely affected by recent heavy rains and flooding, including Boerne, Crystal City, and Ozona.
All teams deployed Thursday in response to a request from the Texas Division of Emergency Management through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). They join teams from Oklahoma Task Force 1 already working in the area. The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security assisted with deployment coordination.
"I'm incredibly proud of the dedicated response agencies representing Oklahoma as they step up to help our neighbors in need," said Governor Stitt. "They truly embody the Oklahoma Standard, and I'm deeply grateful for their service and commitment."
"Deployments like these require a commitment not only from the responders, but also from the agencies and communities they serve at home," said OEM Executive Director Annie Mack Vest. "We're grateful for the Oklahoma teams deploying to Texas and appreciate everyone working together to support this mission."
EMAC is a national mutual aid system that allows states to send personnel, equipment and commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states. The state-to-state system was developed after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and was established in 1996. In recent years, Oklahoma has sent state and local personnel to support EMAC requests in California, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and New Mexico.
OEM continues to monitor additional requests from the affected areas. Further support may be deployed if needed.
The teams include 43 personnel from across agencies Oklahoma, along with 10 boats, trailers, and other equipment. They will be working in areas of Texas severely affected by recent heavy rains and flooding, including Boerne, Crystal City, and Ozona.
All teams deployed Thursday in response to a request from the Texas Division of Emergency Management through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). They join teams from Oklahoma Task Force 1 already working in the area. The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security assisted with deployment coordination.
"I'm incredibly proud of the dedicated response agencies representing Oklahoma as they step up to help our neighbors in need," said Governor Stitt. "They truly embody the Oklahoma Standard, and I'm deeply grateful for their service and commitment."
"Deployments like these require a commitment not only from the responders, but also from the agencies and communities they serve at home," said OEM Executive Director Annie Mack Vest. "We're grateful for the Oklahoma teams deploying to Texas and appreciate everyone working together to support this mission."
EMAC is a national mutual aid system that allows states to send personnel, equipment and commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states. The state-to-state system was developed after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and was established in 1996. In recent years, Oklahoma has sent state and local personnel to support EMAC requests in California, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and New Mexico.
OEM continues to monitor additional requests from the affected areas. Further support may be deployed if needed.
The Office of the Governor of the State of Oklahoma published this content on July 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 21, 2026 at 15:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]