Kent Terwilliger,
Miner County Emergency Manager
The South Dakota Office of Emergency Management is charged with the overall mission of protecting South Dakota's citizens and their property from the effects of natural, manmade, and technological disasters. To fulfill this mission, the SDOEM recognizes and utilizes the four phases of emergency management:
Preparedness: Actions taken in advance of an emergency/disaster to develop
operational capabilities and facilitate response operations.
Response: Actions taken during or after an emergency/disaster to save
lives, minimize damages, and enhance recovery operations.
Recovery: Actions taken over the short or long term to return vital life support
systems to minimum standards or to return life to normal or improved
levels
Mitigation: Actions that can be taken to eliminate or reduce the degree of long term
risk.