Lincoln County Emergency Management (LCEM) oversees preparedness and response operations for emergencies related to natural or manmade disasters. LCEM has jurisdiction over a variety of environmental emergencies as well, including hazardous waste spills. This agency recently strengthened its hazmat capabilities with the addition of a $20,000 response trailer donated by POET Biorefining. The trailer has the capacity to remove materials from dry land as well as from bodies of water. Prior to the donation of this hazardous materials equipment, LCEM had to rely on Sioux Falls Hazmat to remove chemical spills.
How to Become an Emergency Management Professional in Lincoln County,
South Dakota
Emergency management professionals may be found in a variety of specialized fields in Lincoln County, including engineering, meteorology, emergency planning, agribusiness, and public administration. The majority of emergency management jobs in Lincoln County have requirements similar to the following:
- Three or more years of full time experience with homeland security or disaster preparedness
- A bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields
- Emergency management
- Homeland security
- Engineering
- Agriculture
- Meteorology
- Public policy
- Familiarity with NRF, HSEEP, and NIMS
- A year of experience designing, monitoring and evaluating training programs and exercises
- Superior written and oral communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with local, state, federal and private sector personnel
Many emergency management personnel receive training for their jobs through their employer or affiliated organizations. First responders like fire or police complete their pre-employment training at their respective academies, while emergency medical technicians may complete their training from state licensed schools. Periodic or annual training is required to continue practicing in these fields.
The Emergency Management Institute offers a large variety of emergency management classes in Lincoln County, South Dakota. This federal agency offers courses like
- Incident management
- Disaster logistics
- Operational planning
- Integrated preparedness
- Hazard mitigation
- Continuity programs
- Emergency communications
The Emergency Management Institute also provides several certification programs including the highly prestigious Professional Development Series.
Major Disasters in Lincoln County, South Dakota Past and Present
In May of 2013, Lincoln County received almost eight inches of rain within a 48 hour period. During the spring of 2013, Lincoln County reported almost $800,000 in damages to property and infrastructure due to floods and rains. Many of the roads in the county were washed out and bridges were damaged. This season of storms followed a winter and spring filled with severe snows and ice storms that caused millions of dollars of damage.
In 2012, Lincoln and 20 other South Dakota counties were designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as disaster areas due to several months of drought, excessive heat, frost, hail and high winds. Many of the agricultural businesses in Lincoln County lost their crops or produced significantly smaller yields due to extreme weather conditions.