The Bentonville Police, Fire, and EMS Telecommunications Center is the 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Bentonville. Staffed 24/7, the telecommunications center's goal is to provide the highest quality public safety services to the community we serve and to our police, fire, and emergency medical personnel who we team with daily. Our trained employees are there to assist the public with emergent and non-emergent situations. Always call 911 for an emergency. If you have a non-emergency, please call the non-emergency number at 479-271-3170. 

If you are experiencing an emergency where you are unable to speak, you can text 911 in the City of Bentonville, and some surrounding areas.

What to Expect When Calling 911

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. Should you be calling from a cell phone, your exact location may not be known to the 911 dispatcher. It is very important, if possible, that you can give your exact location. If you do not know your location, be prepared to provide landmarks, businesses, or other descriptive visuals that would help identify where you are.

When the 911 Call is Answered by a Telecommunicator

911 lines are answered with “Bentonville 911, what is the address of the emergency?”. Once your location has been obtained and verified, the telecommunicator will ask for the phone number you are calling from. If this is different from what populates on the 911 system, you will be asked to repeat the phone number. The telecommunicator will then ask exactly what happened. In order to get the correct resources to you, the telecommunicator needs to know what has occurred or is occurring that caused you to call for help.

After gathering this information, the telecommunicator will dispatch the appropriate emergency services (police, fire, or ambulance) to the location of the emergency. They will also continue to ask questions about the situation and give directions when necessary. It is important to know that this does not delay any help to you; the telecommunicator will continue to gather important information needed for the emergency responders and assess if any additional emergency services are needed. In many instances, the telecommunicator will ask that you remain on the line until help arrives.

Understanding Emergency 911 Cellular Phone Calls

When calling 911 on a cellular phone, a cellular telephone tower picks up the signal and directs it to the nearest Telecommunications Center or PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). Depending upon which tower that best detects your cellular device, a different PSAP will possibly answer your emergency call. Answering in a similar fashion as explained earlier and upon determining your correct location, this PSAP may transfer your emergency 911 call to the correct PSAP. Although technologies have improved and continue to improve, please understand there are times that we cannot determine your exact location.

Call Tips

Keep in mind the following:

• Know your location. Knowing where you are will help responders get emergency services to you faster.
• If you are driving, pull over if possible. This will help prevent dropped calls and assist in verifying your correct location.
• Stay calm and speak clearly! This helps the dispatcher understand what you need and how to help you.
• If the line is disconnected, call back on 911 and let the telecommunicator know of the previously disconnected call. In many cases, a telecommunicator will also attempt to call back any disconnected emergency 911 call.
• If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line. Let the telecommunicator know it was an accident and that you do not have an emergency. In many cases, a telecommunicator will attempt to call back a disconnected call to ensure there is not an emergency.