Public SafetyWednesday, November 4
Fort Smith will receive an $8 million federal grant for a new 911 center
The Daily Fort Smith team
The city announced Monday that it will receive an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program. River Valley 911 Communications Center director Wes Milam said the new center is expected to cost at or under $10 million, and the grant will also help buy equipment.
The grant covers most of the new 911 center's cost
- $8 million
- federal grant for the new center
- $2 million
- local match the grant requires
- $2.685 million
- in the center's reserve budget for the match
Sources: 5NEWS, Talk Business & Politics
The center dispatches police, fire and EMS for all of Sebastian County. It's now crowded into the Fort Smith Police Department facility, Milam said, and a new building would put EMS dispatchers under the same roof.
- Calls handled in 2025: more than 157,000, or 430-plus a day
- Staff: 28 telecommunications workers and six supervisors
- State mandate: consolidate 911 centers from 114 to 79
Fort Smith pays the biggest share of the center's $4.117 million budget
Source: Talk Business & Politics
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| City of Fort Smith | $1.7M |
| Arkansas 911 funds | $1.5M |
| Sebastian County | $751.9K |
“Competitive federal grants like this one allow the City to make a major public safety investment without putting the full burden on local taxpayers.”
Sources: 5NEWS, Talk Business & Politics