Communications

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      Benton Communications is the 911 center for the City of Benton. Our goal is to provide professional, efficient, and courteous service to our community. The center is fully staffed and operates 24/7. We dispatch Police and Fire Departments for the City of Benton. Our trained employees are there to assist the public in emergency and non-emergency situations. If you have a non-emergency, please call the non-emergency number at 501-778-1171

Knowing What to Expect
      
      When calling 911, we understand that the situation you are in can be extremely stressful. During this time, it is important to remain as calm as possible and speak clearly. Your location may not always be known, especially when calling from a cellphone so it is important that you are able to give your exact location. If you aren't sure of your location, be as descriptive as you can.

Help Us Help You

      As soon as the call taker answers the Emergency line, you will be asked your location and the nature of your emergency. After gathering that information, depending on the type of emergency you have, the call taker will continue to ask questions related to your emergency. This is NOT delaying any help to you. As help is being dispatched the call taker is gathering helpful information for the responders and determining any additional help you may need. In order to get the right help to you, we need to know what is happening or has happened. In some instances the call taker will remain on the line until help arrives to you.

Understanding Cellular Phones

      When calling 911 on a cell phone, a tower picks up the signal and directs it to the center. Sometimes this will send the call to a different PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) and depending on your location and the tower that picks up your call, you may need to be transferred to the correct dispatch center. Technology has improved but there are times that we cannot see where you are calling from.

•    State your location and your emergency. Knowing your location will help responders get to your aid faster.
•    If you are driving, pull over if possible. This will help prevent dropped calls.
•    If the line is disconnected, call back on 911 and let the call taker know you were disconnected

Disconnected Cellular Phones

      A disconnected or inactive cell phone can still dial 911. If it powers ON then it can call us. There are a few things to know about disconnected cell phone when calling in on 911.

•    The disconnected phone does not have a valid phone number so if the line is interrupted we can NOT call you back. You will have to call us back so it is important to stay on the line and not hang up.
•    If you are going to give your old cellphone to a child to play with as a toy, remove the battery so the phone does not accidentally dial in. If we are able to get the location of the cellphone, police will be dispatched to you.

Accidental Calls to 911 are possible and we understand that. If you call in to 911 by accident, DO NOT hang up. Stay on the line and tell the operator that it was an accidental dial. You will receive a call back if you hang up, even if you think the call didn't have time to go thru. It is a good idea to keep your cellphone screen locked when not in use to prevent this from happening

Smart911

      Our center is actively using Smart911 on emergency calls. This is a helpful tool that allows us to view detailed information about you and family that is useful to Police, Fire, and EMS.  The information that you provide is private and secure, is only used for emergency responses, and only made available to the 911 center in the event of an emergency call.  Setting up an account is free of charge and we encourage the public to take advantage of this program. To create a safety profile or for more information, go to www.smart911.com

 

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