Jacksonville and Little Rock intend to team up on 911 call response

Pulaski County, Arkansas – Together, Pulaski County and the city of Jacksonville intend to enhance their response to 911 calls, according to officials.

On Tuesday, the county and the city of Jacksonville declared that they have started the process of merging their 911 call centers into one facility. Although no Pulaski County facility would close during the first phase, emergency dispatch for both the city and rural Pulaski County will be handled by the Jacksonville center.

The phone centers are officially known as Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAPs for short.

By January 1, 2025, there will only be three of these call centers remaining, according to county officials. The modification follows extensive alterations to the state’s 911 system established by the Arkansas Public Safety Act of 2109, which included mandatory county consolidation for those with several PSAPs.

The process of consolidation is just getting started. The county and Jacksonville will next need to draft and execute a memorandum of understanding outlining expectations. The agreement should be implemented “in a few weeks,” a county representative stated.

Inside a tornado-safe chamber, the $2.5 million radio system housed within the guarded Jacksonville PSAP facility is considered “state-of-the-art” by officials. The center is connected to the state’s PSAPs through radio thanks to its membership in the Arkansas Wireless Information Network.

Mayor Jeff Elmore of Jacksonville and Judge Barry Hyde of Pulaski County discussed the rationale behind merging operations.

“Public safety is always a top priority, so we’re excited to take these imperative steps with Jacksonville to ensure a faster, streamlined communication process with our citizens,” Hyde said.

“The City of Jacksonville and 911 Dispatch are thrilled to be partnering with the County,” Elmore said. “We have the facilities, the space. It just makes sense.”

There are now six PSAPs in operation in Pulaski County: the county center, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Maumelle, and Jacksonville. Before the 2025 deadline, Sherwood, Maumelle, and North Little Rock will be combined with the county and Jacksonville PSAPs. The PSAP in Little Rock will continue to operate, according to a county representative.