Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Sioux Falls is at very high standards. This system of care begins when a resident or visitor in our community makes the important and correct decision to call 911.

“Sioux Falls residents and visitors can be very confident in their EMS system, and we want to assure people in our community that when they call 911, they will receive an appropriate and timely response as well as excellent medical care,” says Public Health Director Jill Franken.

Each component of the city's EMS has a specific role. Here is a list of those components:

  • Metro Communications (911): Nearly 50 employees serve their community by working around the clock at Metro Communications. They are the first important step to starting emergency medical services as they begin assisting victims and their families even before responders arrive on scene. The agency processed more than 78,000 emergency calls in 2016.
  • Sioux Falls Police Department: 2016 was a record setting year for the Sioux Falls Police Department when officers responded to more than 103,000 calls with a about 30 percent of which were medical emergencies. Police officers often are on the front lines when quick medical assistance is needed.
  • Sioux Falls Fire Rescue: Each employee of Sioux Falls Fire Rescue is an emergency medical technician (EMT) who has been trained to assist with emergency medical responses. Because of their response time goal to arrive on scene of a fire or medical emergency in 5 minutes and 12 seconds or less 90 percent of the time, fire trucks often are the first on scene of an EMS call. They responded to 6,821 EMS calls in 2016.
  • Paramedics Plus ambulance service: Paramedics Plus responded to 16,048 EMS calls, performed 2,488 electrocardiograms (EKGs), and administered 142 heart defibrillation shocks in 2016. The most recent data shows the ambulance company continues to exceed their response time requirements, as they arrived to all calls on time 98.5 percent of the time in March 2017. Contract compliance is 90 percent.
  • Local hospitals and providers: Local hospitals, clinics, physicians, and other health care providers are all part of the EMS system of care in Sioux Falls.

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