A staffing shortage in Thermopolis, Wyoming, has led to a unique solution to keep 911 services running overnight.Hear what current dispatchers have to say here: Thermopolis 911 calls routed to CodyFor now, emergency calls made a fter 7 p.m. in Thermopolis are being routed to dispatchers nearly an hour and a half away in Cody."If you call 911 between the hours of 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. the following morning, you're going to be talking to us here in Cody," said Monty McClain, the communications supervisor for the Park County Sheriff's Department.From nearly 90 miles away, Park County dispatchers can answer Thermopolis calls and communicate directly with first responders there."I have the ability to control all of their radios remotely from here in Cody, as well as when they transfer the phones to us at night, we can seamlessly answer the calls," McClain said.At a recent Thermopolis council meeting, town leaders stressed 911 service has not been interrupted."When someone calls 911, they need to know help is there," Thermopolis Police Chief Pat Cornwell said.For 911 dispatchers, finding and keeping enough people to answer those calls can be a struggle."It can be hard to get applicants in here. And there are times where it's hard to retain people. The call load, the hours, the stress," Billings Dispatch Supervisor Randi Sanderlin said.What's happening in Thermopolis highlights a much bigger problem.A 2026 national survey of more than 1,500 dispatchers and 911 leaders found nearly eight in 10 centers are short-staffed and one in 10 struggle to fill positions.The job itself can take a toll, with burnout and mental health ranking as the top staffing challenges in that same survey."There are things you don't want to hear, and you have to hear them," Sanderlin said.Sanderlin is a dispatch supervisor with 20 years of experience. She said that in her time in Billings dispatch, the center has also seen staffing struggles.When Q2 spoke with them in 2022, they were down nearly 15 employees out of the 35 needed to be fully staffed.Back in Thermopolis, leaders are now working on a 30-60-90 day plan to rebuild staffing. Until then, overnight 911 calls will keep making that nearly 90-mile digital trip to Cody."The people are not going to see a reduction in services," McClain said. ...read more read less