As we prepare for the Eclipse event on April 8, the Sheriff's Office wants to give the community several tips and pieces of information to help everyone be prepared and have a safe and enjoyable time.  Models have predicted that up to two million people could travel to Arkansas from out of state to view the eclipse.  It has also been predicted that the influx of people will likely run from about Friday April 5 through Wednesday April 10.  As you could imagine, that large of an influx of people for that many days could put quite a strain on infrastructure, including roadways, food, gas, and other supplies.  As part of that, obtaining items you need may be become difficult for those few days.  We are not issuing this release to incite panic, but rather to inform people that taking a few simple precautions may better prepare our community in the event that the eclipse invites as big of an influx as advertised.  To help prepare, we recommend:

-Have enough food/groceries on hand to last from Thursday April 4 to Thursday April 11 -If you are not on well water, consider having some other containers of water saved in the event that community water supplies are strained -Make sure your vehicles have a full tank of gas by Friday April 5 -Try to have stocked any other household items you may need during that 5 day stretch -Refill your prescription medications to make sure you have any vital medications you need -If you have medical equipment that relies on batteries, have extra batteries on hand -Allow for extra time on the road if you have to go somewhere in case roads are congested -Have some cash on hand in the event that the internet is not working

*If you are planning on visiting Heber Springs/Cleburne County from out of state, we want to thank you for choosing our community to visit for this event!  Please remember to have a great time, be safe and courteous, and follow all laws while you're here.  As a small reminder, it is generally unlawful to park on the side of highways or on private property without permission.  It is also unlawful to enter private property (including fields), cut fences, locks, or gates without permission from the property owner.  Participating in these activities could result in criminal charges. 

The Sheriff's Office is also planning on having extra deputies out, and having extra resources available in every patrol car to help address an influx of people and calls for service.  During those days, our response to non-emergency calls may be slightly modified.  If roads are congested, or emergency call volume dictates:

-Non-emergency calls that require a report will be directed to our website cleburneso.org/report -Reports that can't be done on the website will be handled by phone -Calls for service that require a physical response will be handled by priority dealing with the most emergent first -Minor traffic collisions (if we are unable to reach them in a timely manner) will be directed to exchange information and contact the appropriate agency starting Wednesday April 10 to file a report

*This response protocol is going to be largely dependent on exactly how many people visit Cleburne County for the eclipse, and how heavy the call volume is.  The above response will be implemented only if necessary. 

Important phone numbers to save: -Cleburne County Dispatch 501-362-8291 -Cleburne County Sheriff's Office 501-362-8143 -Heber Springs Police Department 501-362-3661 -Baptist Hospital 501-887-3000 -Survival Flight 501-887-7400

Resources, activities, and other information is also available at heberspringseclipse2024.com

-Sheriff Chris Brown