Operations

The division is divided into two battalions. They are the North Battalion and the South Battalion. Other than the division chief and a fire analyst, all personnel work a 24-hour schedule. Emergency responses included responding to and mitigating medical calls, injury accidents, fire notifications and related incidents, technical rescue, and hazardous material incidents. In addition to standard mutual aid agreements, SFFR has agreements in place with counties for response to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and hazardous materials incidents in the region. A Joint Powers Agreement has been entered into with the South Dakota Office of Homeland Security to provide assistance to the rest of South Dakota in the event of an emergency that exceeds the capabilities of the local responders.

SFFR has 231 locations identified as target hazards within Sioux Falls. Our initial response level is dictated by the risk assessment of each of these target hazards. For example, the initial response may vary from four apparatus and a command vehicle (17 personnel) to six apparatus, one hazardous materials response team, one support vehicle and one command vehicle (30 personnel). The preplanning of these identified target hazards has been completed and the information entered into New World Systems. This vital information is available to all members of our department when responding to one of these locations via an onboard data terminal.