About Us

Headed by a Director of Communications, Metro Communications Agency was formed under a joint cooperative agreement for public safety communications services between the City of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County, SD.  The Agency has its own standing separate and apart from the governmental organization of either the City of Sioux Falls or Minnehaha County. 

The Agency is governed by the Metro Management Council (MMC) which consists of 5 members: the Mayor of Sioux Falls, two members of the Sioux Falls City Council appointed by the Mayor, and two members of the Minnehaha County Board of Commissioners appointed by the Commission Chair.  The MMC has the broad discretion to oversee and control the operations of the Agency, including final authority to appoint the Agency Director.

The Director is responsible for the overall operation, planning, development, and administration of the Agency.

Metro Communications Agency currently operates with an authorized staffing level of 49 full time employees.
 
Administrative staff includes a Director, Deputy Director, Business Manager, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Technology Coordinator, and Training Coordinator.  The Agency Director appoints the Deputy Director and Business Manager upon the advice and with the consent of the MMC.
 
Dispatch operations are currently staffed by 9 Shift Supervisors, 9 Advanced Communication Operators, and 25 Operators.
 
A User Committee exists to provide input and address concerns regarding the operation of the Agency.  The Committee is chaired by the Minnehaha County Sheriff and consists of the City of Sioux Falls Chief of Police, the City of Sioux Falls Fire and Rescue Chief, the Brandon Chief of Police, a representative from Paramedics Plus Ambulance, a representative from the County Ambulance Association, a representative from the County Fire Chiefs Association, a representative from the South Dakota Air National Guard Fire Department, the County Emergency Management Director and the City Emergency Management Coordinator.  The Committee Chairman serves as the official liaison between the MMC and User Committee, serving as a non-voting ex-officio member of the MMC.  
 
As part of the Agency's comprehensive 9-1-1 services, Metro Communications provides emergency medical dispatch service for all emergency medical calls for entities which have been contracted or approved by Metro.  The agency contracts with the City of Sioux Falls Health Department (SFHD) to utilize their Emergency Medical System (EMS) Medical Director and Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) Medical Board to provide oversight service to the Agency, acting through the MMC, in the areas of medical dispatch protocols, and standards used in the provision of emergency medical dispatch services.