South Dakota Safety Days

09/10/2026

09/09/2026

🚑 SOUTH DAKOTA EMS: A BIG CONVERSATION IS UNDERWAY
What happens when you call 911 and need an ambulance? In rural South Dakota, the future of EMS is an issue we all need to pay attention to.

In 2026, the South Dakota Legislature passed Senate Bill 89, creating an Emergency Medical Services Funding Task Force to study whether EMS should be treated as an essential service and how it could be funded.

The Task Force is examining:
• How counties and municipalities could be funded for EMS
• Ambulance payment and reimbursement policies
• The challenges facing EMS providers
• Whether EMS should be provided as an essential service
• Whether Rural Health Transformation funds could help support EMS

The Task Force must submit its findings and recommendations for possible future legislation by November 1, 2026.
👉 This does NOT mean EMS has already been declared an essential service in South Dakota. The Legislature is studying what that could look like and how it could be funded.

Because in rural South Dakota, EMS can mean the difference between getting lifesaving care quickly or waiting. The decisions being discussed now could have a direct impact on local ambulance services, funding, staffing and emergency response in communities across our state.

📌 Official South Dakota Legislature sources:

🔹 Senate Bill 89 – Final Law:
https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26703/305934

🔹 2026 EMS Funding Task Force – Meetings, Minutes & Audio:
https://sdlegislature.gov/Interim/Committee/523/Minutes

🔹 2026 EMS Funding Task Force – Agendas:
https://sdlegislature.gov/Interim/Committee/523/Agendas

This is an important conversation for every South Dakota community that depends on EMS. 🚑🇺🇸

09/09/2026

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day!

09/05/2026

September edition of South Dakota Firefighter is here! Check your email or click here: https://southdakotafirefightersassociationjanuary242022.growthzoneapp.com/ap/CloudFile/Download/pGknyz0p

09/04/2026

💜 September is National Su***de Prevention Month
This month reminds us that sometimes the most important part of safety is simply looking out for one another.

For first responders, the challenges don’t always end when the shift does. PTSD 9-1-1 brings these difficult realities to the screen and opens the door to conversations we need to have about trauma, mental health, and asking for help.

🎬 South Dakota Safety Days is proud to bring the South Dakota premiere of PTSD 9-1-1 to our community on October 9.

Let’s keep the conversation going. You are not alone, and asking for help is a sign of strength.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 for support.

***dePreventionMonth