Director named for consolidated 911 center in Sebastian County

The hiring of Wes Milam as director of public safety communications for the City of Fort Smith is a key step in the consolidation of 911 operations in the city and Sebastian County into a center expected to be fully operational by 2027.

Milam for more than two decades has been employed by the Fort Smith Police Department (FSPD), most recently as a department captain. His first day on the 911 job is June 23, according to the City of Fort Smith press release.

He completed in 2024 the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University, and he holds a doctorate of public administration from Valdosta State University.

“I am grateful to Captain Milam for his 22 years of dedicated service with the Fort Smith Police Department and am proud of him and his many accomplishments,” said Fort Smith Chief of Police Danny Baker. “The successful consolidation of 911 operations in Sebastian County will be critical to enhancing public safety in the region, and I have every confidence in Milam’s ability to lead and manage this project with the highest competence and integrity.”

The planned River Valley Communications Center will be a regional dispatch center for police, fire, and EMS services. According to the city, there are two public safety answering points (PSAPs) in Sebastian County, with one at the FSPD and the other with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office.

An Arkansas law has mandated the consolidation of 911 operation centers from 114 to 79. Part of that law required 911 service consolidation in Sebastian County, with complete consolidation expected in 2027.

“The agreement between the City of Fort Smith and Sebastian County was approved in late 2024, and the first step was to hire an Executive Director. Now that Dr. Milam has been hired as the director, the PSAP consolidation will be his top priority,” according to a statement from the City of Fort Smith.

The consolidated center will be at 4501 Burrough Road in Fort Smith in a building that once was the Whole Hog Cafe restaurant. The city bought the property for $575,000 in a deal that closed Nov. 16, 2024. The operation will have about 50 employees, according to the city.

“The site will undergo significant renovations to house the consolidated 911 operations. The consolidated 911 will be considered fully operational when this new site comes online and is fully staffed,” according to the city.

Revenue to fund the 911 centers comes primarily from fees and taxes collected by mobile phone companies, firms providing voice-over-internet-protocol service, and prepaid wireless service providers. Revenue received in calendar year 2024 by the Arkansas Public Safety Trust Fund totaled $47.733 million. Sebastian County received $1.719 million from the fund in 2024.