County News
Sheriffs hear first-hand account of fatal I-40 shoot-out Sheriffs from around the state converged
on Eureka Springs July 26-28 for the Arkansas Sheriffs Association summer convention. Busi- ness included legislative preparation, voting on new board members, a magazine awards lun- cheon, and a little fun with the ASA staff. During the training on Monday the Sheriffs
heard from numerous speakers on issues from legislation to officer safety. Arkansas Game and Fish Officer Michael Neal and AGFC Colonel Mike Knodel talked to the group about the tragic shoot-out in West Memphis that took the lives of two officers and seriously injured Crit- tenden County Sheriff Dick Busby and Chief Deputy W.A. Wren. Officer Michael Neal talked about what went
through his mind when he rammed the van of the suspects, stopping them from getting away and taking any more lives. Officer Neal and Colonel Knodel also showed video footage of the shootout in a West Memphis Walmart park- ing lot, and had recordings of the 9-1-1 calls that came in that day. Te video will be used
During Tuesday’s magazine awards luncheon,
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel – a former police officer himself – talked to the Sheriffs on current points of interest for Arkansas law en- forcement, and stood behind his support of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association Honor Guard. Te counties with the top magazine sales
AG Dustin McDaniel speaks to the Sheriffs dur-
ing the Awards Luncheon; at right, the ASA Honor Guard posts colors.
to train officers who might one day find them- selves in a similar situation. Te 2010-2011 ASA Executive Board offi-
cers were sworn in as they welcomed the newest members of the Executive Board. Sheriff Scott Bradley, Sheriff David Lucas, and Sheriff Marty Moss are the newly appointed members of the ASA Executive Board.
The 2010–2011 ASA Executive Board includes (from left): Sheriff John Montgomery, Baxter County – Sgt at Arms ;
Sheriff David Lucas, Jackson County – Financial
Chairman ; Sheriff Cody Carpenter, Scott County – Execu- tive Secretary; Sheriff Phillip Morgan, Madison County – President; Sheriff Tim Helder, Washington County – 1st Vice President ; Sheriff Larry Sanders, Garland County – 2nd Vice President ; Sheriff Marty Moss, Cleburne County – Legislative Chairman; Sheriff Scott Bradley, Van Buren County – Secretary / Treasurer ; Chuck Lange – ASA Ex- ecutive Director.
fayette County. Te convention concluded
Tuesday night with a Hawaiian luau party - where Sheriff Al- len Cheek of Arkansas County provided equipment for “Sher- iff’s karaoke fun time”.
– Amanda Penney Arkansas Sheriffs Association Madison County’s new 911 system is literally ‘a real life-saver’
Welcome to the business of saving lives in the 21st Century. And business has been booming since a state of the art equipment upgrade has given Madi- son County dispatchers and first responders a technological edge in crisis management. To understand just how important this new technology is in saving lives, picture someone driving along a rural stretch of Highway 16 in southern Madison County. After speeding around a sharp curve, the
driver loses control and flips his vehicle. He is severely injured and needs immediate medi- cal attention. He is able to call 911 on his cell phone but, being disoriented and unfamiliar with the area, he is unable to give the dispatcher
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an idea where he is. With the old 911 system, emergency techni- cians would have little to go by when trying to locate the injured man. With the new system, however, the subject’s
cell phone signal would identify his exact loca- tion. Dispatchers would then be able to pass this on to first responders, who would be able to give him crucial medical attention much more quickly.
Te more timely response could mean the
difference between life and death for the injured motorist. Te new system, which includes new com- puter software and accompanying dispatch equipment, was installed on July 27, but it was
in the planning stages well before that. Madison County Enhanced 911 Coordina-
tor Audra Reynolds said the process began more than a year ago when her office was informed of programs designed to assist Arkansas counties in establishing a wireless 911 system. Reynolds was responsible for obtaining the funds and overseeing the installation of the new system, which is produced by AT&T. “We got funding (for the new 911 equip-
ment) from two different sources, so the county will not be out any costs,” Reynolds said. “Most of the funding came from the ETS (Emergency Telephone Services) Board out of Little Rock.”
Continued on 31 >>> COUNTY LINES, FALL 2010
were also recognized, with an overall title go- ing to Sebastian County / Sheriff Frank Atkin- son for the highest total sales. Division winners were Sebastian County, Union County, Carroll County, White County, Cross County, and La-
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