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University Status

University Status:

The University currently has 1 notification and 1 ban at this time.

If this is an emergency, please contact University Police by dialing 111 from on-campus phones or 911 from your mobile phone.

The University is committed to keeping the campus community informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations. This webpage is updated when there is an active alert or timely warning. The University issues timely warnings when a situation arises that constitutes a Clery Act crime within the Clery Geography of the University, which are reported to campus security authorities and that the University considers to constitute a serious ongoing or continuing threat. More information is available in University Policies 10:3 and 10:11.


Timely Warning: 11/6/2024

South Dakota State University issuance of a crime alert.

Incident: Simple Assault

Occurred: 11/5/2024

Location: Abbott Hall

Details: On 11/5/2024 at approximately 6 p.m. a simple assault is reported to have taken place on the South Dakota State University Campus. There is no description of the individual or individuals involved. As always, the safety of students is paramount. Please be vigilant. 

The University Police Department is seeking information about the individual(s) and their whereabouts as they believe there is potential for an ongoing threat. UPD can be contacted at 605-688-5117.


Active Bans

Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 4:13 p.m. - Open burning ban for Brookings County.

Open burning in Brookings County has been banned indefinitely after county commissioners voted to declared a fire danger emergency at a special meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Brookings County Civic Alert

Previous Alerts

The combination of strong winds, low humidity and dry fuels will continue to create dangerous fire weather conditions:

  • South winds gusting as high as 35 to 45 mph, with stronger winds shifting east into southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa.

  • Humidity levels will again be critical, as low as 18 to 25 percent.

The combination of strong winds, low humidity and dry fuels will create dangerous fire weather conditions:

  • South winds gusting as high as 30 to 45 mph, strongest west of I-29.

  • Afternoon humidity levels as low as 15 to 25 percent.

Please note: Winds will remain gusty tonight, with only modest recovery (40-50%) in humidity levels. This may allow near-critical fire conditions to persist through the night.

NWS Support Packet

Friday:

  • Near and east of I-29: A moderate to possibly High Fire Danger is expected.

  • West of I-29: High to possible Very High Fire Danger is expected as southerly winds increase in the afternoon with gusts around 30 mph possible.

Saturday: 

  • Near and west of I-29: Strong southerly winds gusting to 35 to 45 mph will transition to westerly from late morning into the afternoon. Afternoon relative humidity will fall to 20 to 25 percent. 

  • East of I-29: Strong southerly winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph will transition to westerly in the afternoon. Afternoon relative humidity will fall to 25 to 35 percent.

Sunday:

  • A High Fire Danger is expected with wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph and afternoon relative humidity around 30 percent.

Seasonably warm temperatures, breezy winds and low humidity will create High to Very High fire danger today. Please follow the necessary safety precautions to prevent the start and spread of a wildfire.

  • Breezy southwesterly winds gust up to around 30-35 mph, strongest this morning into early afternoon.
  • Relative humidity values will fall to 13-20% during the afternoon hours.
  • Drying fuels in addition to the breezy winds and low humidity will result in High to Very High fire danger late this morning into this evening.
  • Fire Weather Watch remains in effect due to some offset in timing of the lowest RH values and the strongest winds.

What to do:

  • Use caution if working outside, using construction tools or farm related activities.
  • Do Not carelessly discard cigarette butts!
  • Avoid all planned burning of burn piles or grass/prairie areas.
  • Check hanging chains on trailers, be careful of exhaust on machinery or vehicles.

Warm temperatures, dry fuels and gusty winds will result in critical fire weather conditions for Monday. Avoid any activities that may result in an uncontrolled fire.

  • With warm temperatures, gusty winds and low afternoon relative humidity, the fire danger will be critical to near critical for most of the area on Monday.

  • Northwest winds will increase through the morning behind a passing front, gusting 30-40 mph into the mid afternoon, before decreasing in the late afternoon and early evening.. 

  • Relative humidity values will drop to 10-25% across the area on Monday, with the lowest values found west of Interstate 29.

  • While grassland and brush continues to slowly dry during September, more significant drying has taken place to agricultural fields which may pose a greater risk for wildfire development today due to harvest activities.

What to do:

  • Use caution if working outside, using construction tools or farm related activities.
  • Do Not carelessly discard cigarette butts!
  • Avoid all planned burning of burn piles or grass/prairie areas.
  • Check hanging chains on trailers, be careful of exhaust on machinery or vehicles.  

Brookings County has issued a countywide Burn Ban during this timeframe!

If you see a grass fire, report it quickly!

SMS Text, Text to Speech message:

Test of the SDSU Campus Alert System. In an actual emergency, you would be given brief instructions. Check your SDSU email.  

Email/Everbridge Mobile app message:

This is a test of the South Dakota State University Campus Alert System. This is only a test. In the event of an actual emergency, you would be given brief details and directed to visit SDSU’s Emergency Status Website for more information and instructions. If you have received this message in error, please contact SDSU Emergency Management.

Please check with other students and your co-workers to ensure they were notified in a timely manner. Updating their profile will ensure they are notified of emergencies that may happen across campus.  

Desktop Alertus Notification:

You should have received a notification to your work desktop if you were online at the time of the notification.  For additional information on Desktop Alertus notifications. Question for Alertus Desktop please contact Information Technology Support Desk at 605-688-6776.

If working or attending classes off-site please update your profile to receive emergency messages by opting in to receive emergency messages from the closest SDBOR university.

Questions or concerns call 605-688-4251.

Previous Timely Warnings

Timely Warning: 1-23-24

South Dakota State University issuance timely warning.

Incident: Threat of Harm

Occurred: Jan. 23, 2024

Location: Not specified

Details: On Jan. 23, 2004 at approximately 10:31 a.m. an anonymous phone call was received by South Dakota State University threatening to carry out an attack on the campus of SDSU. Additional phone calls were also received making nonspecific threats. Be aware of your surroundings, take personal precautions and if you see something contact university police at 605-688-5117.

Update: After further investigation, and with the assistance of additional state law enforcement resources, evidence indicates that the threat originated from outside of the state of South Dakota. There have been a large number of hoaxes perpetrated against a variety of schools and public institutions in the United States in recent months. University police have increased their presence on campus and will continue to closely monitor any and all active threats against the university community. As always situational awareness is key to personal safety, please report any suspicious activity to the University Police Department or university official.

Timely Warning: 2-10-23

South Dakota State University issuance of a crime alert.

Incident: Simple Assault

Occurred: Feb. 9, 2023

Location: Ben Reifel / Brown Hall drop off area

Details: On Feb. 9, 2023 at approximately 10:20 p.m. an assault took place on the SDSU Campus. The incident took place in the Ben Reifel drop off area and the student was unharmed. The suspect was reported as a male, approximately 5’8’’- 6’ tall with a muscular build, wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and Adidas NMD shoes with a red stripe. He was last seen heading south on 14th Ave.

The University Police Department is seeking information about the individual and his whereabouts as they believe there is potential for an ongoing threat.

UPD can be contacted at 605-688-5117.

South Dakota State University issues crime alerts in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about reported crimes on and around campus. SDSU is committed to the safety of the campus community and is releasing this information to aid in its protection.

This information is provided so you can make informed decisions and take appropriate action to ensure your safety and mitigate any likelihood of similar crimes.

The only person responsible for a crime is the perpetrator. The victim of a crime is never to blame.

  • If you start to feel concerns about a person or a situation, trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat.
  • If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person. You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your safety or security, please contact the University Police Department 605-688-5117.

The University Police Department urges anyone who believes they have been the victim of a crime or has witnessed a crime to contact local law enforcement. The UPD non-emergency number is 605-688-5117. Please dial 911 in the event of an emergency.

If you have received this notification in error, please reply to: SDSU Emergency Management.