JACKSON (WNE) — Teton County’s communications center has half the dispatchers it needs to adequately answer emergency calls and that means trouble.

“We are one person away from not being able to answer 911 calls 24/7,” Sheriff Matt Carr told county commissioners during their meeting last week. “This is a crisis.”

The 911 dispatch center is considered fully staffed with 16 full-time dispatchers. Right now the center has eight.

Carr told commissioners that something has to be done or some emergency calls could go unanswered. To fill the gaps, dispatchers are working 12-hour shifts and mandatory overtime — and they have been for years.

“We need to retain the excellent staff we have now,” Carr told the News&Guide. “I can’t lose any more.”

Carr is proposing the county pay dispatchers the same salaries it pays detention officers and patrol deputies. As it stands, dispatchers make 10 to 15 percent less than jailers and deputies.

Starting pay for an entry level dispatcher is $46,791 with the possibility of making more than $66,000 on a step plan.

Commissioners didn’t vote on anything during their meeting.

Carr insisted it’s time to boost dispatcher pay for both retention and recruitment, but also because it’s what they deserve.

“They are the first link to the public,” Carr said. “They are walking people through CPR over the phone. They are often on the line with people in life-threatening situations. The role they play in this process is critical. Why shouldn’t they be at the same salary level?”