Minnehaha County Emergency Management

Emergency Management functions as a division of the Minnehaha County Sheriffs Office.  The office provides emergency management services to Minnehaha County and also oversees volunteers for Minnehaha County. The volunteer groups function similar to volunteer fire departments. 

Reserve Law Enforcement

The Minnehaha County Emergency Management Reserve Law Enforcement Unit currently consists of reserve law enforcement officers. The primary function of a reserve officer is to supplement and support career law enforcement officers. Each are certified by the South Dakota Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission. Each officer is required to provide the community with no less than eight hours of duty time each month. Duty time is acquired by working with either the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Brandon Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, or the Department of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Each officer is also required to attend a three-hour training session each month. Officers also work requested time when an agency asks for assistance for a special event. Reserve officers have participated in assisting at parades, Sioux Empire Fair, marathons, holiday patrol, street dances, community events, bike patrol, tournaments, and dignitary visits such as Presidential details.

Rescue Squad

The Minnehaha County Emergency Management Rescue Squad consists of dedicated volunteers who are on twenty-four hour call to assist rural fire departments with their firefighting efforts.  The Rescue Squad is also called upon for search and rescue calls. They assist the Dive Team and rural fire departments with a mobile cascade system to fill air tanks.  This group maintains boats and other specialty equipment such as tracked ATV’s and a UTV.  The Rescue squad meets monthly. 

Dive Team

The Minnehaha County Emergency Management Dive Team consists of certified divers who train to stay proficient for quick response needed for river and lake rescue. They work very closely and train in special maneuvers with the Rescue Unit. Dive Team vehicles and the boats are shared with the Rescue Squad. In addition to responding to drowning emergencies, the Dive Team works with local law enforcement in water searches for crime evidence discarded in water.