Office of Emergency Communication
The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) is a consolidated dispatch center responsible for providing public safety communications services to our county. OEC personnel are often the first point of contact in an emergency. OEC is a 24/7 center that provides dispatch services for 12 Law Enforcement agencies, including Benton County Sheriff’s Office, 20 Fire Departments, and 3 Emergency Medical Services. In 2016, OEC received 37,533 9-1-1 calls and 193,206 administrative calls.
Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIA) can be completed by downloading the FOIA Request Form and sending a request to the following email: OECfoia@bentoncountyar.gov
Text-to-9-1-1 is available in Benton County
Benton County now has the ability to receive text-to-9-1-1 from all major cell phone carriers. Text to 9-1-1 is a great resource for our citizens in Benton County, Arkansas. Below you will find more information and how text to 9-1-1 in an emergency situation.
Call if you can, text if you can’t.
Things to know if you need to text 9-1-1:
- Text location information is not equal to current location technology
- As with all text messages, 9-1-1 messages can take longer to receive, can get out of order, or may not be received
- Text to 9-1-1 is not available if you are roaming
- A text or data plan is required to place a text-to-9-1-1
- Text to 9-1-1 cannot include more than one person. Do not send your emergency text to a “group”, only send to “911”
- Do not text and drive!
How to text 9-1-1 in an emergency:
- Enter the numbers “911” in the “To” field
- The first text message to 9-1-1 should be brief and contain the location of the emergency and type of help needed
- Push the “Send” button
- Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker
- Text in simple words, do not use abbreviations
- Keep messages brief and concise
Smart911 – A free service for Arkansas Residents
- Did you know Smart911 is a free service available to keep your and your family safer?
- Smart911 lets you create a private and secure safety profile for your family, including any information you want 9-1-1 to have during an emergency.
- You can include details such as family members, photos, medical notes, pets, and emergency contacts.
- When you create your profile, also “opt in” to SmartPrepare, which is also a free feature. This will provide Emergency Management with vital information during a disaster.
- In an emergency seconds can save lives. Take a few seconds now to plan ahead at www.smart911.com
