Falls Park, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
On January 1, 2007 a Joint Cooperative Agreement for Communications Services between Minnehaha County and the City of Sioux Falls established “Metro Communications Agency”.
The purpose, scope, duties and goals of the Agency include 9-1-1 telephone service, handling emergency telephone reports, and dispatching public safety responders for both the City and County. Additional responsibilities include: the management of an area teletype system providing information to and from law enforcement agencies nationwide, the maintenance of programs and database for rural addressing as it relates to 9-1-1, city establishments and hard to locate addresses, handicapped persons, or anyone who might need extra help in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, the Agency supports it’s users by servicing radios and electronic equipment.
About Us
Metro Communications is a consolidated public safety communications center responsible for the dispatch of all emergency services within the city and county. This includes 3 law enforcement agencies, 4 ambulance services, 15 fire departments, Emergency Management and the City of Sioux Falls Animal Control.
Metro Communications is staffed with professional emergency dispatchers who are specialized in handling crisis over the phone. When you call 9-1-1, be prepared to briefly explain your exact situation. The dispatcher will ask you to give the address of the emergency and provide your call back number for verification. They will also ask a series of questions that pertain to your specific emergency. When calling 9-1-1 the most important thing is to listen carefully and follow the dispatchers instructions. The “WHERE”, “WHAT”, “WHO” AND “WHEN” of the situation are essential. While some of the questions may seem unnecessary to you at the time, they are needed to ensure the appropriate level of response is achieved.
In 2006 the dispatch center handled 313,079 incoming phone calls. Of those, 118,873 were emergency 9-1-1 calls while 194,206 were non-emergency calls. Cellular calls accounted for over fifty percent of the 9-1-1 calls received.
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