South Dakota Office of Emergency Management

South Dakota Office of Emergency Management
Name	South Dakota Office of Emergency Management
Jurisdiction	South Dakota
Headquarters	Pierre, South Dakota
Parent agency	South Dakota Department of Public Safety

Contents

South Dakota Office of Emergency Management is the state-level agency responsible for coordinating disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery across South Dakota and with federal partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and Federal Communications Commission. The office interfaces with tribal authorities including the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe, and collaborates with regional entities such as the Midwestern Governors Association and the National Emergency Management Association. It serves as the principal conduit among local jurisdictions like Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Rapid City, South Dakota, and the City of Pierre for disaster declaration, mutual aid, and federal disaster assistance.

History

The origins trace to post-World War II civil defense structures influenced by the Federal Civil Defense Administration and later restructured following the creation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1979 and the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002. Legislative milestones include state statutes enacted by the South Dakota Legislature and gubernatorial directives issued from the Governor of South Dakota office, aligning state emergency policy with federal frameworks like the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Historically the office coordinated responses to events such as the 1997 Red River flood, regional severe weather outbreaks tied to the National Weather Service, and infrastructure incidents involving the South Dakota Department of Transportation.

The office operates under the umbrella of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety with a director appointed through state executive processes involving the Governor of South Dakota and confirmation by the South Dakota Senate. Leadership works alongside state agencies including the South Dakota Department of Health, South Dakota National Guard, and the South Dakota Department of Social Services, while liaison roles connect to federal entities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Regional coordination involves county emergency managers representing jurisdictions such as Pennington County, South Dakota, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, and Brown County, South Dakota, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army (United States).

Mandated responsibilities include hazard mitigation planning consistent with the Stafford Act, administration of state emergency declarations via the Governor of South Dakota, and management of federal grant programs such as the Homeland Security Grant Program and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Programs address risks from natural hazards associated with the Missouri River, severe winter storms impacting Interstate 90 in South Dakota, wildland-urban interface fires near Black Hills communities, and agricultural emergencies affecting entities like the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation. The office administers public alerting systems interoperable with the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and works with communications stakeholders including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and state public safety answering points such as Sioux Falls Police Department dispatch centers.

During activations the office staffs the State Emergency Operations Center coordinating multi-agency response among entities including the South Dakota Highway Patrol, Pennington County Sheriff's Office, the South Dakota Department of Corrections, and tribal emergency services. It employs incident command structures modeled on the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System principles used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Forest Service. Response operations range from search and rescue coordinated with the Civil Air Patrol to mass care supported by the American Red Cross and public health interventions with the South Dakota Department of Health and federal partners like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The office administers preparedness programs including exercises certified by the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program and training courses aligned to the Emergency Management Institute and the National Fire Academy. It oversees grant management for programs funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and state appropriations, distributing funds to county emergency management offices in jurisdictions such as Lincoln County, South Dakota and Meade County, South Dakota. Collaboration for workforce development includes partnerships with institutions like South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota, and regional training providers including the Great Plains Disaster Behavioral Health Conference.

Significant activations include statewide responses to the 2019 Midwestern floods, major winter storms affecting Interstate 29 in South Dakota and Interstate 90 in South Dakota, wildfire responses in the Black Hills National Forest involving the U.S. Forest Service, and public health coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. The office has also coordinated recovery from infrastructure failures tied to Missouri River flooding, supported relief after severe tornado outbreaks tracked by the National Weather Service, and managed agricultural emergency assistance alongside the United States Department of Agriculture.