Patti Barnt

Patti Barnt grew up on her family's cattle ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills. Her love and knowledge of the  livestock industry is a benefit for coordinating evacuations of large and small animals from disaster areas. From a young age she fought prairie fires,  as the nearest volunteer fire department was 20 miles away. She learned the value of working as a community to fight these fires to save livestock and homes. She was active in 4-H and her church's youth group where she learned about community service and helping others in need. 

During college she was active in the local and district levels of Circle K International the collegiate branch of Kiwanis International which primary focus is community service. She served as District Governor for the Rocky Mountain District for two consecutive terms. The leadership skills she gained from this experience has been advantageous for coordinating and assisting in disaster response.  She graduated from Chadron State College with a double major in Agri-Business and English: Mass Media with a Minor in Business Administration, she worked as an Administrative Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain District Kiwanis Foundation at Children's Hospital in Denver, CO. 

She participated in numerous community committees organizing and participating in pediatric trauma safety awareness events; and coordinating trainings  and events throughout Colorado, Wyoming and the Panhandle of Nebraska.   She organized a clothing and household drive for residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in SD in 1999 after a tornado hit the reservation. 

Patti worked in the Social Services field for several years where she learned how to find and utilize local, state and federal resources for her clients.   She  has processed and verified rescue/aid requests on social media for humans/animals (called and spoke directly to those needing rescued or their immediate contacts) ;  dispatched the verified information to Search and Rescue (SAR) along with coordinating relief and recovery efforts  during Hurricanes Irma, Maria, Florence and Michael, the 2018  Woolsey and Camp Fires in CA and the 2019 Flooding in the Midwest and Beauregard AL tornado. She continues to aid those in need.