County profile
Pennington County, SD 18 departments
474 HIFLD personnel across 18 departments in Pennington County · #2 of 66 in-state.
Pennington County, SD carries a heavy HIFLD roster (474 personnel across 18 departments) - #2 of 66 in-state; mix 1/13/0 career/volunteer/combination.
- Personnel rank #2 of 66 in South Dakota
- 3.80 stations per 100 personnel
- 27% of roster in Rapid City Department of Fire and Emergency Services
- 15 of 18 depts provide EMS
- 18 of 365 South Dakota departments statewide
Fire Departments in Pennington County
| Department | Type | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder Fire Department Box Elder · EMS | volunteer | 29 |
| Doty Volunteer Fire Department Rapid City · EMS | volunteer | 21 |
| Hayward Fire Department Keystone · EMS | volunteer | 15 |
| Hill City Fire Department Hill City · EMS | volunteer | 51 |
| Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department Rapid City · EMS | volunteer | 15 |
| Keystone Fire Department Keystone · EMS | volunteer | 18 |
| New Underwood Fire Department New Underwood · EMS | volunteer | 23 |
| North Haines Volunteer Fire Department Rapid City · EMS | volunteer | 28 |
| Quinn Volunteer Fire Department Wall | other | - |
| Rapid City Department of Fire and Emergency Services Rapid City · EMS | career | 128 |
| Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department Rapid City · EMS | volunteer | 45 |
| Rochford Volunteer Fire Department Hill City | other | - |
| Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department Rapid City · EMS | volunteer | 31 |
| Scenic Volunteer Fire Department Scenic · EMS | other | - |
| Silver City Volunteer Fire Department Silver City | volunteer | 10 |
| Wall Volunteer Fire Department Wall · EMS | volunteer | 24 |
| Wasta Fire Department Wasta · EMS | other | - |
| Whispering Pines Volunteer Fire Protection District Rapid City · EMS | volunteer | 36 |
Coverage desk
Roster-weight lane (474 personnel) - station density and largest-book share from HIFLD.
Staffing mix: 1 career, 13 volunteer, 0 combination (72% volunteer).
3.80 stations per 100 HIFLD personnel (18 stations / 474 roster).
Largest book: Rapid City Department of Fire and Emergency Services holds 27% of county personnel (128 of 474).
Photo-finish peer: North Slope County, AK (+0 personnel).
South Dakota roster context
- State departments
- 365
- Annual fires
- 7,400
- Volunteer %
- 69%
FAQ
How many firefighters serve Pennington County? ▼
Pennington County has 474 total fire department personnel across 18 departments. The average per department is 26, which is 30% above the South Dakota average.
How many fire departments are in Pennington County, SD? ▼
Pennington County, SD has 18 fire departments with available federal data. 1 career, 13 volunteer, By total reported personnel it ranks #2 of 66 among South Dakota counties with at least one listed department.
Are Pennington County fire departments mostly volunteer? ▼
Yes, 13 of 18 departments (72%) in Pennington County are volunteer.
Does Pennington County have EMS coverage? ▼
Yes - 17 departments in Pennington County provide EMS services.
Nationwide counties with similar fire coverage
Source: U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Department Registry NFDR (National Fire Department Registry) · 2024 Personnel totals for Pennington County sum HIFLD roster fields (career + volunteer) where reported.