Mission Statement

  • To warn of impending danger
  • When required, support local response agencies with timely, effective deployment of resources
  • Through the public information process, keep affected residents informed about the situation and how they can protect themselves
  • Coordinate and direct restoration and recovery operations when local government resources are exhausted
  • Assess local needs and coordinate support form the State of South Dakota and the federal government as necessary and appropriate

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Emergency Management Staff

  • Dustin Willett - EM Director
  • Alexa White - Assistant Director
  • Jeanne Wing - Staff Assistant

Welcome to

Pennington County Emergency Management

The Pennington County Emergency Management was created in 1962 and formally known as Civil Defense. The city of Rapid City and Pennington County entered into an agreement to form a joint, local organization to provide emergency and disaster services in 1978. This is known as the joint powers agreement. It serves as the countywide agency for the purpose of overseeing the planning, response, recovery and mitigation of any and all major disasters/emergencies that occur within the county. It also serves all political subdivisions within the county including townships, villages and municipalities. The organization is managed by an Emergency Management Users Board composed of 7 members. The Sheriff of Pennington County, Police Chief of Rapid City, Fire Chief of Rapid City, Pennington County Commissioner, Rapid City Alderman, Pennington County State's Attorney, and the Director of Military Support for the South Dakota National Guard.

In Pennington County, the Emergency Management office also serves as the emergency coordination and public information arm of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) under the EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Title III.

The EM has the responsibility for maintaining the county's Emergency Operation Center (EOC) located in the Pennington County Courthouse at 315 St. Joseph, Ste. B-31 in Rapid City and for establishing secondary EOC's as needed. The agency is also charged with the establishment and updating of the county's Emergency Operations Plan. The agency is staffed by a fulltime director, a fulltime assistant coordinator and part-time staff assistant.