By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard
Clark County’s new 911 dispatch center, slated to go online Dec. 17, 2024, may see its start date delayed as the county awaits the arrival of critical communications equipment.
According to county Judge Troy Tucker, the new dispatch center will be located upstairs in the original 1930s jail that is attached to the 1984 detention center as well as the courts complex. Access will be from the second floor of the courts complex, he said. The center is the merger of the dispatching currently handled by the county and the Arkadelphia Police Department, and is mandated by new state legislation.
Tucker said the merger will allow for a more efficient emergency services dispatch. Currently, all 911 calls for the APD come into the county and are rerouted to the city, wasting precious moments. With 2-3 dispatchers sitting in the new dispatch center, there will be less time lest, Tucker explained.
All fire, police and 911 calls will go through the center. Ambulance calls will be sent to Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia, which will retain its own dispatch services.
The city dispatchers will become county employees and all the salaries have been raised to be on the same base level, the judge said. Deputy Fred Phillips has been appointed to serve as communications director with a nine-member board tentatively composed of the county judge, sheriff, emergency manager, Arkadelphia’s police and fire chiefs, the mayor or city manager, and one representative each from Amity, Gurdon and Caddo Valley.
After some hesitation over fees, Tucker said Caddo Valley has signed onto the dispatch center.
Tucker said he expects the board will not meet on a regular basis once the center is up and running.
Due to Arkansas Crime Information Center rules, the center itself will not be open to the public, Tucker said, noting that all radio dispatch areas have historically been restricted space.
Tucker said he does hope to host an open house for the public before the center officially opens, and he would like to see local emergency responders shown through the area so as to familiarize them with the process.