SDEMA is a made up of Emergency Managers and other related agencies serving South Dakota.

South Dakota is made up of 66 counties with a wide range of landscapes and communities of all sizes. Each county has a designated Emergency Manager. This position in some counties is a 1/4 time role, in others a 1/2 time role, while other counties may have a full-time director with additional support staff. The goal of Emergency Management professionals is to protect lives, property and the environment while overseeing the planning, response, recovery and mitigation of any and all major disasters/emergencies that occur within the county.