BC Alert Emergency Notification 

BC Alert is the Emergency Notification System to keep our citizens informed in emergency situations, such as weather alerts or warnings. The City of Bentonville utilizes storm sirens in the case of a tornado; however these sirens are meant for those outdoors and may not be heard from inside your residence or business. BC Alert can notify everyone anywhere of emergencies via cell phone, home phone, email, etc. You may sign up for alerts through www.bcalert.com.

Why should I sign up for alert notifications?

The alerts will tell you what to do and how to stay informed in an emergency situation. The alerts are available by text, email, cell phone, home phone, work phone, instant messaging, or fax. So you'll get instant access to information no matter where you are.

How is the new BC Alert system different than what I already signed up for?

Being forewarned about dangerous weather, a neighborhood evacuation or an emergency road closure has never been easier. The new BC Alert system allows residents greater freedom to pick and choose what kind of notifications they want to receive, how they would like to receive them, as well as specify particular times during the day when they would prefer to block any incoming notifications. Residents can even sign up for alerts based on zip code, street address or radius from a specific point. So if you live in one city in Benton County and work in another within the county, you can sign up for alerts in both locations and points in between. There are also a number of new notification topics now available through the state-of-the-art alerting system.

How often will I get alert notifications?

To a large extent, it’s up to you. The number of alerts you receive depends on the types of alerts you sign up for, and how often emergencies happen. For example, you may get many messages each week if you sign up for community information alerts. But you may get severe weather alerts far less often. If you feel you are getting too few or too many alerts, you can adjust your alert settings. You can even customize your alert settings at any time to help adjust the number of alerts you receive; including "quiet times" when you won't receive messages.

Is it free to sign-up?

Yes, it is a free service offered by Benton County and only takes about five minutes to sign up. Standard messaging and data rates may apply. Check your wireless plan for details.

Will my personal information be kept private?

Yes, Benton County will not sell your email address or phone number, and they only use this information to send you alert notifications.

What types of emergency alerts will I get?

You can control what alerts you get. When you sign up, you will be asked to choose what kind of alerts you want, including:/

• Major emergency alerts, like terrorism or natural disasters
• Benton County weather alerts and warnings
• Community information alerts such as road closings and major events
• AMBER alerts
• For a complete list of available alerts in your area, please visit the about alerts page on the BC Alert website.

How will I get the alerts?

In an emergency situation, an alert will be sent by the BC Alert system to inform residents of the situation and may give instructions on how to react. Residents should then promptly follow instructions and continue to keep devices near them if subsequent information follows. Even if a resident is using their electronic device when the alert is issued, the alert should still come through.

What is the sign-up process like?

Individuals may sign-up for a BC Alert account in order to receive emergency alerts and notifications. Multiple devices can be added to each individual account and alerts can be sent to all devices listed. In order to sign up for an account, follow the instructions on the Sign Up page on the BC Alert.com website.

If I sign up for alerts from two jurisdictions (like the city and the county) will I get two messages?

Yes, each alert network sends messages to the registered users and does not distinguish between individuals registered on multiple systems.

Who sends out alerts?

Each jurisdiction has designated local officials to send out alerts. Alerts may go out to everyone in the jurisdiction or selected groups of individuals depending on the type of emergency.