From Barton County
911 is crucial to the safety and well-being of the Barton County community. A persistent national shortage of 911 dispatchers continues to strain emergency communications centers across the U.S., with over 80 percent of centers reporting understaffing in 2026. The Barton County Communications Department is at a critical staffing level and has been at this level frequently over the past several years. Addressing the issue through policy and wage adjustments has proven to be ineffective to date.
In discussions about how other 911 agencies operate, we found that there are several dispatch centers under the authority of the Sheriff’s Office; other departments outsource their 911 services. The County’s administrative team reached out to like-size centers to research their operations. Sheriff Brian Bellendir was asked for input. It quickly became apparent that outsourcing was not an option for Barton County. Feedback from emergency service providers was immediate – local control of dispatch is imperative to emergency service operations. After a study session on Aug. 5, the Barton County Commission took administrative action to begin the process of moving 911 under the umbrella of the Sheriff's Office on an interim basis.
We believe that moving this critical component of emergency services under the Sheriff’s Office would create a balance of personnel to reduce reliance during staff shortages as the employee pool is expanded in-house with individuals trained in emergency operations. In addition, there is a reduction in administrative redundancies and shift oversight is expanded within a well-established command structure.
It is anticipated that the State of Kansas will mandate upgrades to the 911 infrastructure over the next few years and local entities will be expected to shoulder the financial burden of these changes. There are current discussions reference municipal partners sharing in the infrastructure maintenance costs. The cost share will not begin in 2026 or 2027, but will start in 2028.
The Commission will hold another study session on this topic at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18, in their Chambers, at the Barton County Courthouse, 1400 Main, Suite 106, Great Bend.