Department History

In 1988 voters approved an ordinance to implement 9-1-1 emergency telephone service within Benton County to be funded by a charge of up to five percent of the basic telephone tariff approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission and to be administered by an Administrative Board.

County Ordinance 88-5 was approved creating a 9-1-1 Administrative Board consisting of five members with staggered five-year terms.
Board members are:

• 1 full-time fire chief or deputy chief
• 1 full-time police chief, chief deputy, sheriff, or chief deputy sheriff
• 3 members at large